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!

Poetry of snow #2 A long one about farewell!

(Title)
bái xuě gē sòng wǔ pàn guān guī jīng
白 雪 歌 送 武 判 官 归 京

                                (Author) cén shēn
                                         -----岑 参

běi fēng juǎn dì bái cǎo shé，hú tiān bā yuè jí fēi xuě。
北 风 卷 地 白 草 折， 胡 天 八 月 即 飞 雪。

hū rú yī yè chūn fēng lái，qiān shù wàn shù lí huā kāi。
忽 如 一 夜 春 风 来， 千 树 万 树 梨 花 开。

sàn rù zhū lián shī luó mù，hú qiú bù nuǎn jǐn qīn bó。
散 入 珠 帘 湿 罗 幕， 狐 裘 不 暖 锦 衾 薄。

jiāng jūn jiǎo gōng bù dé kòng，dū hù tiě yī lěng nán zhuó。
将 军 角 弓 不 得 控， 都 护 铁 衣 冷 难 着。

hàn hǎi lán gān bǎi zhàng bīng，chóu yún cǎn dàn wàn lǐ níng。
瀚 海 阑 干 百 丈 冰， 愁 云 惨 淡 万 里 凝。

zhōng jūn zhì jiǔ yǐn guī kè，hú qín pí pá yǔ qiāng dí。
中 军 置 酒 饮 归 客， 胡 琴 琵 琶 与 羌 笛。

fēn fēn mù xuě xià yuán mén，fēng chè hóng qí dòng bù fān。
纷 纷 暮 雪 下 辕 门， 风 掣 红 旗 冻 不 翻。

lún tái dōng mén sòng jūn qù，qù shí xuě mǎn tiān shān lù。
轮 台 东 门 送 君 去， 去 时 雪 满 天 山 路。

shān huí lù zhuǎn bù jiàn jūn，xuě shàng kōng liú mǎ xíng chù。
山 回 路 转 不 见 君， 雪 上 空 留 马 行 处。

(Translation)
There are so many words in this poem. I won't cover all of them below. Leave a comment if there's a word in Chinese that you don't understand and it's not down here~
武判官: an occupation in ancient China. It refers to the author's friend who's going to leave.
北风: the wind in winter                                      
白草: grass in winter covering in snow
胡天: sky in the northwest                                    
飞雪: is snowing
梨花: pear flowers, here it refers to snow              
珠帘and罗幕: decorations at the door
狐裘: clothes made from foxes                            
锦衾: bed sheets made of silk
将军and都护: occupations in ancient China        
角弓: bow
铁衣: armor                                                            
阑干: everywhere
瀚海: even though it has sea in the word, it means the desert            
惨淡: very dark                                                      
中军: headquarters
置酒: have a party                                                  
归客: it refers to the author's friend
胡琴and琵琶and羌笛: musical instruments played in the northwest
辕门: door of the headquarters                              
风掣: the wind blows
轮台and天山: ancient Chinese cities                    
回and转: curve            


(Appreciation)
The author and his friend were both serving in the military in the far northwest. The northwest is so cold that it's already snowing during August. His friend needed to go back to the main city, so the author prepared a party for him on the day he needed to leave. It's so cold that day that the soldiers could not pick up their weapon or wear their armor. It was snowing during the party. The snow got into the room and even the bed sheet could not keep them warm. Eventually it's time for the author's friend to leave. The author stood in the snow and watch his friend disappearing far away. The only thing left on the snow was the footprints.

Poetry of ocean #1 Actually a sad love story!

(Title)
lí sī
离思

    (Author) yuán zhěn
               ----元 稹

céng jīng cāng hǎi nán wéi shuǐ，chú què wū shān bù shì yún。
曾 经 沧 海 难 为 水， 除 却 巫 山 不 是 云。

qǔ cì huā cóng lǎn huí gù，bàn yuán xiū dào bàn yuán jūn。
取 次 花 丛 懒 回 顾， 半 缘 修 道 半 缘 君。

(Translation)
曾经: visited back then                                            
沧海: the ocean
难为: doesn't worth visiting                                    
水: water
除却: nothing but                                                    
巫山: the name of a mountain
不是: isn't                                                                
云: cloud
取次: doesn't pay attention                                    
花丛: flowers, but it means beautiful girls here
懒: lazy                                                                  
回顾: look back
半缘: half of the reason                                          
修道: on a mission trip
君: lover

(Appreciation)

Once you saw the ocean, you won't be impressed by the water elsewhere; once you experienced the cloud and rain in Mountain Wu, you won't be surprised by the cloud elsewhere. I walked by a group of young girls but didn't look back. Half of it is because I'm on a mission trip, the other half is that I've already had someone in my heart.


The author's wife died a while ago. He missed his wife so much that nothing can replace her in his heart. Such a sad by moving story >_<...