Poetry of snow #3 Farewell in the snow!

(Title)
bié dǒng dà
别 董 大

         (Author) gāo shì
                   ----高 适

qiān lǐ huáng yún bái rì xūn，běi fēng chuī yàn xuě fēn fēn。
千 里 黄 云 白 日 曛， 北 风 吹 雁 雪 纷 纷。

mò chóu qián lù wú zhī jǐ，tiān xià shuí rén bù shí jūn。

莫 愁 前 路 无 知 己，天 下 谁 人 不 识 君。

(Translation)

董大: name of the author's friend                                    
千里: thousands of kilometers

黄云: yellow clouds                                                          
白日: sunshine

北风: wind blown from the north                                      
雁: wild goose

雪纷纷: snowing                                                              
莫愁: don't worry

前路: the road ahead                                                       
知己: people who understand you

天下: in this world                                                            
识君: know you

(Appreciation)

The yellow clouds covered most of the sky and the sunshine was not very bright. In the sky, some gooses flew by with the wind blowing from the north. It was a snowy day and I had to say goodbye to my friend. Don't worry that people would not understand you along the way, because nobody in the word never heard of you!

Poetry of life #4 Homesick!

(Title) _ (Subtitle)
tiān jìng shā _ qiū sī
天 净 沙 _ 秋 思

                  (Author) mǎ zhì yuǎn
                            ----马 致 远

kū téng lǎo shù hūn yā，
枯 藤 老 树 昏 鸦，

xiǎo qiáo liú shuǐ rén jiā，
小 桥 流 水 人 家，

gǔ dào xī fēng shòu mǎ，
古 道 西 风 瘦 马。

xī yáng xī xià，duàn cháng rén zài tiān yá。
夕 阳 西下， 断 肠 人 在 天 涯。

(Translation)

枯藤: dried up branches                                                       

老树: old trees

昏鸦: crows at night                                                             

小桥: small bridges

流水: stream                                                                          

人家: houses

古道: ancient roads                                                               

西风: wind blown from the west

瘦马: thin horses                                                                   

夕阳: sunset

断肠: broken intestines, meaning missing someone/something too much

天涯: the end of the earth

(Appreciation)
There were a lot of dried branches on the old trees and some crows were standing on these branches. There was a stream under this little bridge. At the other side of the bridge, there were a few houses. The wind blew along the ancient roads where I was riding a tired horse. It's already sunset, but my home was so far away! I missed my home!

Poetry of relationship #1 I miss you!

(Title)
xiāng sī
相 思

      (Author) wáng wéi
                 ----王 维

hónɡ dòu shēnɡ nán ɡuó，chūn lái fā jǐ zhī。
红 豆 生 南 国， 春 来 发几枝。

yuàn jūn duō cǎi xié，cǐ wù zuì xiāng sī。
愿 君 多 采 撷，此 物 最 相 思 。

(Translation)

相思: I miss you 

红豆: a kind of red bean, the symbol of missing someone

南国: south part of the country 

春: spring

愿: hope 

采撷: pick up

此物: this thing, referring to the red beans 

最: most

(Appreciation)

Red beans grew in the south part of the country. How many of them would sprout in the spring time? Hope you pick up some red beans, because they are the symbol of missing someone!

Poetry of life #3 Life is strong!

(Title)
fù dé gǔ yuán cǎo sòng bié
赋 得 古 原 草 送 别

                          (Author) bái jū yì
                                    ----白 居易

lí lí yuán shàng cǎo，yī suì yī kū róng。
离离原 上 草， 一 岁 一 枯 荣。

yě huǒ shāo bù jìn，chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng。
野 火 烧 不 尽， 春 风 吹 又 生。

yuǎn fāng qīn gǔ dào，qíng cuì jiē huāng chéng。
远 芳 侵 古 道， 晴 翠 接 荒 城。

yòu sòng wáng sūn qù，qī qī mǎn bié qíng。
又 送 王 孙 去，萋萋 满 别 情。

(Translation)

赋得: making Chinese poems under a special rule, meaning that the author need to use previous poems as the theme.

送别: farewell                                                       
离离: the grass growing well

原: grassland                                                        
一岁: a year

枯/荣/生: die/grow/sprout                                     
野火: fire in the wild

不尽: not completely                                            
春风: wind in the spring

吹: blow                                                                
远芳: the smell travels far away

侵: invade                                                             
古道: ancient road

晴翠: the grass looks bright and green                
荒城: abandoned city

王孙: usually means offsprings of rich families, but here it refers to the author's friends.

萋萋: the same as 离离, the grass growing well

别情: the feeling from farewell

(Appreciation)

The grass on the field was growing so well! Every year, they died once and grew back once. Even the fire could not eliminate the grass completely. Once the wind of spring time blew, the grass would grow again! The grass smelled so good and the smell travelled so far away that you could smell it on the ancient road. Their life was so strong that they also grew in the abandoned cities. The author needed to say goodbye to his friend again. The grass was full of the feelings that he had for his friend!    

Poetry of life #2 Time passes quickly!

(Title)
tí dū chéng nán zhuāng
题 都 城 南 庄

                         (Author) cuī hù
                                   ----崔 护

qù nián jīn rì cǐ mén zhōng，rén miàn táo huā xiāng yìng hóng。
去 年 今 日此 门 中， 人 面 桃 花 相 映 红。

rén miàn bù zhī hé chù qù，táo huā yī jiù xiào chūn fēng。
人 面 不 知 何 处 去， 桃 花 依 旧 笑 春 风。

(Translation)

题: write on                                                         
都城南庄: the village south of the capital

去年: last year                                                    
今日: today

此门: this door                                                    
人面: refers to a girl

桃花: peach flowers                                            
何处: where

依旧: still                                                             
春风: wind in the spring

(Appreciation)

The author walked by a door to the village last year. He saw a beautiful girl surrounded by red peach flowers. This year on the same date, the author walked passed the same door again. The peach flowers were still blooming, but he could not find the girl anymore!

Poetry of life #1 Don't give up on hope!

(Title)
yóu shān xī cūn
游 山 西 村

                   (Author) lù yóu
                            ----陆 游

mò xiào nóng jiā là jiǔ hún，fēng nián liú kè zú jī tún。
莫 笑 农 家 腊 酒 浑， 丰 年 留 客 足鸡豚。

shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù，liǔ àn huā míng yòu yī cūn。
山 重 水 复 疑 无 路，柳暗 花 明 又 一 村。

xiāo gǔ zhuī suí chūn shè jìn，yī guàn jiǎn pǔ gǔ fēng cún。
箫 鼓 追 随 春 社 近， 衣 冠 简 朴 古 风 存。

cóng jīn ruò xǔ xián chéng yuè，zhǔ zhàng wú shí yè kòu mén
从 今 若 许 闲 乘 月， 拄 杖 无 时 夜 叩 门。

(Translation)

游: visit                                                               

山西村: a village

莫笑: do not laugh at                                          

农家: famers

腊酒: wine made in December                            

混: not clear

丰年: refers to the year that farmers grow and get a lot of crops

留客: treat the visitors                                         

鸡豚: chicken and pigs

山/水: mountains and lakes                                

重and复: again and again

疑无路: doubt there will be any paths                 

柳/花: trees/flowers

又一村: another village                                        

箫/鼓: bamboo flute/drum

春社: one of 24 traditional Chinese days to mark the seasons

衣冠: clothes and hats                                         

简朴: simple

古风: ancient style                                              

从今: from now on

若许: if like this                                                  

乘月: in the moonlight

拄杖: hold the walking stick                               

无时: from time to time

扣门: knock on the door


(Appreciation)

The author was visiting a village. The farmers just had a nice year, so they had a lot of chicken, pork and white wine. There were so many mountains and lakes on the way that the author almost lost the hope, but among some trees and flower the author finally saw a village. The local music was telling him that the spring was on the way. Also, people in this town dressed up like ancient people. From now on, if the author had time walking in this beautiful moon light, he would knock on the neighborhood's doors.


(Special meaning)

山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。This sentence has a special meaning. It means that sometimes you will encounter so many difficulties that you may lose hope, but if you keep going, you will find your way eventually.

Poetry of plum blossom #1 Red!

(Title)
hóng méi
红 梅

          (Author) wáng shí péng
                     ---- 王 十 朋

táo lǐ mò xiāng dù，yāo zī yuán bù tóng。
桃 李 莫 相 妒， 夭 姿 元 不 同。

yóu yú xuě shuāng tài ，wèi kěn shí fēn hóng。
犹 余 雪 霜 态， 未 肯 十 分 红。

(Translation)

红梅: red plum blossom                                                   

桃李: peach and plum

莫: do not                                                                          

相妒: be jealous

妖姿: beautiful shape                                                        

不同: different

犹余: still have something left                                          

雪霜: snow and frost

未肯: doesn't want to                                                         

十分: 100%

(Appreciation)

Different kinds of flowers should look different. Therefore, peach flowers and plum flowers should not be jealous of the red plum blossom. The red plum blossom just survived the snow and frost. That's why they don't look 100% red.

Ancient Chinese poets really like plum blossom. There are a lot of poems describing the beauty and courage of plum blossom because they bloom during the early spring when it's still very cold outside. The most common ones are actually black (like the ancient ink) or white (like snow).

It's still cold outside. But hopefully the spring is already on the way!