[updated October 2022]
Travel to Mt. Tai: Six Poems: No. 6
游 太 山： 六 首
朝 饮 王 母 池
瞑 投 天 门 阙。
独 抱 绿 绮 琴
夜 行 青 山 月。
山 明 月 露 白
夜 静 松 风 歇。
仙 人 游 碧 峰
寂 听 娱 清 辉
玉 真 连 翠 微。
相 象 鸾 凤 舞
飘 摇 龙 虎 衣。
扪 天 摘 瓠 瓜
恍 惚 不 忆 归。
举 手 弄 清 浅
误 攀 织 女 机。
明 晨 坐 相 失
但 见 五 云 飞。
You Tai Shan: Liu Shou
(6)
Zhao yin wang mu chi
Ming tou tian men que.
Du bao lu qi qin
Ye xing qing shan yue.
Shan ming yue lu bai
Ye jing song feng xie.
Xian ren you bi feng
Wai wai sheng ge fa.
Ji ting yu qing hui
Yu zhen lian cui wei.
Xiang xiang luan feng wu
Piao yao long hu yi.
Men tian zhai hu gua
Huang hu bu yi gui.
Ju shou nong qing qian
Wu pan zhi nu ji.
Ming chen zuo xiang shi
Dan jian wu yun fei.
Travel to Mt. Tai: Six Poems: No. 6
At dawn, drink from the Queen Mother pool
Approaching nightfall at the watchtowers of Heaven’s Gate.
Cherish my one, exquisite qin
Evening walk, green mountains and the moon.
Mountain moonlit white dew
Evening pine trees quiet as the winds subside.
Immortals travel the bluish-green peaks
Playing outside their songs and melodies.
Lonely sounds entertain the pure radiance
Jade images among the green backgrounds.
Believe the appearance of a nuptial dance
Outside garments move like dragons and tigers.
To touch certain stars of Heaven
In a trance, do not have the ability to go back.
Raise one’s hand to stir the Milky Way
By mistake, attached to the Weaver Girl.
Bright morning light, everything lost and disappears
Only see five clouds flying away.
Notes:
Mt. Tai: Located in Shandong Province, it is the eastern mountain of the Five Great Peaks of China, and also known as the “Jade Emperor Peak”.
Queen Mother: Goddess of Life and Immortality who lived in the western paradise where the peaches of immortality grew.
Weaver Girl: Famous folk tale about the celestial lovers Cowherd and Weaver Girl. They represent the stars Altair and Vega. Destined to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, they require many magpies to form a bridge across the sky (the Milky Way) in order to make their rendezvous.