Bai Juyi: Newly-Made Cloth and Fur Coat

 

[updated September 2022]

 

Newly Made Cloth and Fur Coat

 

新 制 布 裘
桂 布 白 似 雪
吴 绵 软 于 云。
布 重 绵 且 厚
为 裘 有 余 温。
朝 拥 坐 至 暮
夜 覆 眠 达 晨。
谁 知 严 冬 月
支 夕 忽 有 念。
中 夕 忽 有 念
抚 裘 起 逡 巡
丈 夫 贵 兼 济
岂 独 善 一 身。
安 得 万 里 裘
盖 裏 周 四 垠。
稳 暖 皆 如 我
天 下 无 寒 人。
Xin Zhi Bu Qiu

Gui bu bai si xue
Wu mian ruan yu yun.
Bu chong mian qie hou
Wei qiu you yu wen.

Zhao yong zuo zhi mu
Ye fu mian da chen.
Shei zhi yan dong yue
Zhi ti nuan ru chun.

Zhong xi hu you nian
Fu qiu qi qun xun.
Zhang fu gui jian ji
Qi du shan yi shen.

An de wan li qiu
Gai gua zhou si yin.
Wen nuan jie ru wo
Tian xia wu han ren.

 

Newly Made Cloth and Fur Coat

Guangxi cloth as white as snow
Jiangsu silk floss soft and pliable as clouds.
Silk floss padding stays thick for a long time
All this makes the fur coat very warm.

From dawn to dusk this coat embraces me
Sleep all night under it until morning.
Who knows how severe are the winter moons
All my body parts warm like springtime.

Midnight awaken to imposing thoughts
Arise with fur coat protection, pace back and forth.
High integrity and ranked men can ferry twice across the river to help others
To live beyond yourself is a wise and virtuous life.

Peace could arise from thousands of miles of fur coats
Like a canopy to cover in all four directions.
All people can be calm and warm just like me
Down here on earth without a single cold person.

 

Notes:

Guangxi and Jiangsu: Provinces of China.