Send As a Gift to Hu Gong of the Yellow Mountains, Ask About the Silver Pheasants
赠 黄 山 胡 公 求 白 鹇
请 以 双 白 璧
买 君 双 白 鹇。
白 鹇 白 如 锦
白 雪 耻 容 颜。
照 影 玉 潭 里
刷 毛 琪 树 间。
夜 栖 寒 月 静
朝 步 落 花 闲。
我 愿 得 此 鸟
玩 之 坐 碧 山。
胡 公 能 辍 赠
笼 寄 野 人 还。
Zeng Huang Shan Hu Gong Qiu Bai Xian
Qing yi shuang bai bi
Mai jun shuang bai xian.
Bai xian bai ru jin
Bai xue chi rong yan.
Zhao ying yu tan li
Shua mao qi shu jian.
Ye qi han yue jing
Zhao bu luo hua xian.
Wo yuan dei ci niao
Wan zhi zuo bi shan.
Hu gong neng chuo zeng
Long ji ye ren huan.
Send As a Gift to Hu Gong of the Yellow Mountains, Ask About the Silver Pheasants
Offered to you a pair of my white jade pendant-necklaces
In exchange for your pair of silver pheasants.
Silver pheasants white like silk brocade
White snow appears shameful in comparison.
They live around deep jade pools with reflections and shadows
Preen themselves in between the jade-like trees.
Evenings they perch outside under quiet moons
At daybreak walk leisurely through fallen blossoms.
I wished that I could have these birds
Play with them while sitting in the bluish-green mountains.
Hu Gong really gave them as a gift
With a needed cage I go back to live with the country peasants.
Notes:
Yellow Mountains: Mountain range in southern Anhui Province. Famous for often being in the background of Chinese landscape paintings.