Ouyang Xiu: Proud Fishing Households (No. 11): Eleventh Month

 

Proud Fishing Households (No. 11): Eleventh Month

 

玉 楼 春
(11)
十 一 月 新 阳 排 寿 宴。
黄 种 应 管 添 宫 线。
猎 猎 寒 威 云 不 卷。
风 头 转。
时 看 雪 霰 吹 人 面。
南 至 迎 长 知 漏 箭。
书 云 纪 侯 冰 生 研。
腊 近 探 春 春 尚 远。
闲 庭 院。
梅 花 落 尽 千 千 片。
Yu Lou Chun

(11)

Shi yi yue xin yang pai shou yan.
Huang zhong ying guan tian gong xian.
Lie lie han wei yun bu juan.
Feng tou zhuan.
Shi kan xue xian chui ren mian.

Nan zhi ying chang zhi lou jian.
Shu yun ji hou bing sheng yan.
La jin tan chun chun shang yuan.
Xian ting yuan.
Mei hua luo jin qian qian pian.

 

Proud Fishing Households: (No. 11) Eleventh Month

Eleventh month, winter solstice banquets
Different musical instruments signal a new season, palace ladies
stay in and embroider.
Flags fluttering in the cold wind, clouds unfurled.
Wind gusts change directions often.

Season when snow and soft hail blows into people’s faces.
Days of southern suns, water clocks serve for longer periods of time.
Ice forms on the paper that receives written records of this passing season.
End of the year close, spring still far away.
Unoccupied front courtyards.
Thousands of fallen plum blossom petals.