Small Boat Travel On a Western Stream, Return Past the Western Hills
小 舟 游 西 江 度 西 冈 而 归
小 雨 重 三 后
馀 寒 百 五 前。
聊 乘 瓜 蔓 水
闲 泛 木 兰 船。
雪 暗 梨 千 树
烟 迷 柳 一 川。
西 冈 夕 阳 路
不 到 又 经 年。
Xiao Zhou You Xi Jing Du Xi Gang Er Gui
Xiao you chong san hou
Yu han bai wu qian.
Liao cheng gua wan shui
Xian fan mu lan chuan.
Xue an li qian shu
Yan mi liu yi chuan.
Xi gang xi yang lu
Bu dao you jing nian.
Small Boat Travel On a Western Stream, Return Past the Western Hills
After the third day of the third lunar month, a light rain one hundred and five days after the winter solstice
And in the days before the Cold Food celebrations.
Now the melon vines multiply in their water
I leisurely float in a fancy orchid-tree boat.
Thousand pear trees with thick snow-white blossoms
Willow trees lost in mist along one river.
At sunset walk along a road in the western hills
I have endured another year of having no assignment.
Notes:
Cold Food celebrations: The days before Qing Ming are when gravesites are visited and cared for, as well as when no hot food is prepared or eaten.