East Asia Student

Random Stuff Related to East Asia

Classical Chinese

陶淵明 飲酒 translation: Drinking Wine (Tao Yuanming)

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 饮酒 (Yǐn Jiǔ) by the Eastern Jin dynasty poet 陶淵明 (Tao Yuanming). The poem is also known by its first line 結廬在人境 (Jié Lú Zài Rén Jìng).

Chrysanthemums飲酒

yǐn jiǔ [drink] [wine] Drinking Wine

結廬在人境， jié lú zài rén jìng [build] [hut] [at] [people] [territory] One builds a house on human territory,

而無車馬喧。 ér wú chē mǎ xuān [yet] [not have] [cart] [horse] [noise] yet there is no sound of cart or horse.

問君何能爾？ wèn jūn hé néng ěr [ask] [sir] [how] [can] [thus] One asks you how this can be so,

心遠地自偏。 xīn yuǎn dì zì piān [mind] [distant] [place] [self] [inclined] but your mind is a distant place, self-absorbed.

採菊東籬下， cǎi jú dōng lí xià [pick] [chrysanthemum] [east] [fence] [below] Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence,

悠然見南山。 yōu rán jiàn nán shān [pensive] [-ly] [view] [south] [mountain] one pensively views the southern mountains.

山氣日夕佳， shān qì rì xī jiā [mountain] [air] [sun] [dusk] [beautiful] The mountain air and sunset are beautiful;

飛鳥相與還。 fēi niǎo xiāng yǔ huán [fly] [bird] [together] [to] [return] flying birds return together.

此中有真意， cǐ zhōng yǒu zhēn yì [this] [in] [have] [true] [meaing] There is true meaning in this;

欲辯已忘言。 yù biàn yǐ wàng yán [want] [argue] [stop] [forget] [speech] desiring argument, one stops and forgets to speak.

If you notice an error or disagree with the translation, please comment below to improve this resource.


Contact me: mhg@eastasiastudent.net

Tags