River Dragon Chant
水 龙 吟
摩 诃 池 上 追 游 路
红 绿 参 差 春 晚。
韶 光 妍 媚
海 棠 如 醉
桃 花 欲 暖。
挑 菜 初 闲
禁 烟 将 近
一 城 丝 管。
看 金 鞍 争 道
香 车 飞 盖
争 先 占， 新 亭 馆。
惆 怅 年 华 暗 换
黯 销 魂， 雨 收 云 散。
镜 奁 掩 月
钗 梁 拆 凤
秦 筝 斜 雁。
身 在 天 涯
乱 山 孤 垒
危 楼 飞 观。
叹 春 来 只 有
杨 花 和 恨
向 东 风 满。
Shui Long Yin
Mo he chi shang zhui you lu
Hong lu cen ci chun wan.
Shao guang yan mei
Hai tang ru zui
Tao hua yu nuan.
Tiao cai chu xian
Jin yan jiang jin
Yi cheng si guan.
Kan jin an zheng dao
Xiang che fei gai
Zheng xian zhan, xin ting guan.
Chou chang nian hua an huan
An xiao hun, yu shou yun san.
Jing lian yan yue
Chai liang chai feng
Qin zheng xie yan.
Shen zai tian ya
Luan shan gu lei
Wei lou fei guan.
Tan chun lai zhi you
Yang hua huo hen
Xiang dong feng man.
River Dragon Chant
At the Mohe palace pond, I read the Zhui You Lu
Spring evening of various reds and greens.
Beautiful springtime, enchanting scenery
Haitang flowers drunk, peach blossoms desire warmth.
Start of leisure and the choosing of green plants for the holiday
The mist of Qing Ming coming soon
City full of silk-strings making music.
Watch golden saddles compete for the road
Fragrant carriages with flapping canopies
Vie to arrive early at the new pavilions and inns.
This is a year of sorrow and disappointment, changed from previous splendors
Our country’s spirit and morale melts and disappears
I watch the rain gather and clouds scatter over and over
Their mirrors and toiletry cases cover the moon
Liang-style hairpins, take apart the phoenix ones
Qin dynasty gushing music, geese ascend in formations.
My life at the sky’s horizons
Solitary mountains with chaotic ramparts
Our towers too high, times of danger observed
One only has praise for the arrival of spring
Poplar tree blossoms express regrets
Towards the east a full wind blows.
Notes:
Mohe pond: Located inside Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Zhui You Lu: A book with the literal title of “Recall Highway Travels”.
Haitang flowers: A flowering and ornamental tree native to China. A species of crab apple with the scientific name of Malus Spectabilis.
The holiday: The period of time between the lunar New Year (new moon) and the fifteen days to a full moon.
Qing Ming days: Also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, it is celebrated on the fifteenth day after the Spring Equinox. Tradition dictates cleaning the gravesites of one’s ancestors, burning incense and paper money, and other ritual offerings, such as fruit.