Du Fu: Enjoying Autumn: Eight Poems: Poem No. 3

 

Enjoying Autumn: Eight Poems: Poem No. 3

 

(3)
昆 明 池 水 汉 时 功
武 帝 旌 旗 在 眼 中。
织 女 机 丝 虚 夜 月
石 鲸 鳞 甲 动 秋 风。
波 漂 菰 米 沉 云 黑
露 冷 莲 房 坠 粉 红。
关 塞 极 天 惟 鸟 道
江 湖 满 地 一 渔 翁。

 

(3)

Kun ming chi shui han shi gong
Wu di jing qi zai yan zhong.
Zhi nu ji si xu ye yue
Shi jing lin jia dong qiu feng

Bo piao gu mi chen yun hei
Lu leng lian fang zhui fen hong.
Guan sai ji tian wei niao dao
Jiang hu man di yi yu weng.

 

Enjoy Autumn: Eight Poems: No. 3

After success, Han dynasty built the Kun Ming pond
Wu Di banners and flags dominated the views.
Weaver Girl with no silk under the evening moon
Rock whale with inscriptions changes the autumn wind.

Floating waves, wild rice stems sink and clog up the pond
Cold dew, lotus heads pinkish red and fallen down.
Mountain pass strategic border stronghold, bird pathways across the sky
A single fisherman, rivers and lakes fill the land.

 

Notes:

Kun Ming pond: Perhaps refers to the capital city of Yunnan Province.

Wu Di: (156-87 BC) Seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty. He reigned for 57 years and oversaw the largest territorial expansion of China.

Weaver Girl: Refers to the Legend of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. Two celestial lovers have been separated all year, except on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when they reunite over a heavenly bridge of magpies.