This is a translation and annotation of the poem 雨中游天竺靈感觀音院 (Yǔzhōng Yóu Tiān Zhú Línggǎn Guānyīn Yuàn), ‘Traveling in the Rain to Linggan Guanyin Temple on Tianzhu Mountain’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).
As always, this is only my beginner’s attempt at an annotation. If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.
雨中游天竺靈感觀音院
Yǔzhōng Yóu Tiān Zhú Línggǎn Guānyīn Yuàn
[rain] [in] [travel] [Tian] [Zhu] [Ling] [Gan] [Guan] [Yin] [Court]
Traveling in the Rain to Linggan Guanyin Temple on Tianzhu Mountain
蠶欲老，麥半黃，
Cán yù lǎo, mài bàn huáng,
[silkworm] [want] [old], [wheat] [half] [yellow]
The silkworms are maturing, the wheat is half-yellow;
山前山後水浪浪！
shān qiánshān hòu shuǐ làng làng!
[mountain] [front] [mountain] [behind] [water] [wave] [wave]
before the mountains, behind the mountains, rain pours and pours!
農夫輟耒女廢筐，
Nóngfū chuò lěi nǚ fèi kuāng,
[farm] [master] [stop] [plow] [female] [abandon] [basket]
Farmers stop plowing, girls abandon their baskets;
白衣仙人在高堂！
báiyī xiānrén zài gāotáng!
[white] [clothes] [immortal] [person] [at] [high] [hall]
the white-robed immortal is in the high hall!
If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.
Sources and further reading
- 雨中游天竺灵感观音院 – 百度百科
- Translation of 雨中游天竺靈感觀音院 by Ronald Egan
- Translation of 雨中游天竺靈感觀音院 on kingwong.com
- An Anthology of Chinese Literature: Beginnings to 1911 – Stephen Owen
- Drifting Among Rivers and Lakes: Southern Song Dynasty Poetry
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