Su Dongpo: Evening Return to Lin Gao: (Close to the River Immortals)

 

[updated September 2022]

 

Evening Return to Lin Gao: (Close to River Immortals)

 

临 江 仙:夜 归 临 皋
夜 饮 东 坡 醒 复 醉
归 来 仿 佛 三 更。
家 童 鼻 息 已 雷 鸣。
敲 门 都 不 应
倚 杖 听 江 声。
长 恨 此 身 非 我 有
何 时 忘 却 营 营。
夜 阑 风 静 觳 纹 平。
小 舟 从 此 逝
江 海 寄 余 生。
Ye Gui Lin Gao: (Lin Jiang Xian)

Ye yin dong po xing fu zui
Gui lai fang fo san geng.
Jia tong bi xi yi lei ming.
Qiao men dou bu ying
Yi zhang ting jiang sheng.

Chang hen ci shen fei wo you
He shi wang que ying ying.
Ye lan feng jing hu wen ping.
Xiao zhou cong ci shi
Jiang hai ji yu sheng.

 

Evening Go Back to Lin Gao: (Close to River Immortals)

Evening at Dong Po: cycles of getting drunk, sober up, get drunk again
Arrive home somewhere around midnight.
Young house servants snoring like thunder
I knock at my door, no reply
So I just lean against my staff, listen to the river sounds.

Long regret, I do not own my own body
When can I forget and get rid of having to stay in these small digs.
Evening draws to an end, river calm like patterned silk screens
Maybe I will get a little boat and disappear from here
Let the rest of my life depend upon the rivers and seas.

 

Notes:

Dongpo: Literally means the eastern slopes. The location of Su Dongpo’s home for several years. For more details, see this website for a biography of Su Dongpo.