152 白居易 賦得古原草送別 translation: Farewells on Grassland, by Bai Juyi
離離原上草 (Lílí Yuánshàng Cǎo)
This is a translation and annotation of the poem 賦得古原草送別 (Fùde Gǔ Yuáncǎo Sòngbié), by the Tang dynasty poet 白居易 (Bái Jūyì). The poem is #152 in the collection 300 Tang Poems, and is also known by its first line: (Lí lí yuán shàng cǎo).
賦得古原草送別 Fùde Gǔ Yuáncǎo Sòngbié [poetic essay][] [ancient] [open plains] [grass] [see off] [depart] Farewells on Grassland
離離原上草， Lí lí yuán shàng cǎo, [lush][] [open plains] [on] [grass] Lush grass on the plains,
一歲一枯榮。 yī suì yī kū róng. [one] [year] [one] [wither] [thrive] in one year, withers and thrives once each.
野火燒不盡， Yěhuǒ shāo bù jìn, [wild] [fire] [burn] [not] [exhaust] Wildfire does not burn it completely;
春風吹又生。 chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng. [spring] [wind] [blow] [again] [live] when spring winds blow, it lives again.
遠芳侵古道， Yuǎn fāng qīn gǔdào, [far] [fragant] [invade] [ancient] [road] Afar, fragrance occupies ancient roads;
晴翠接荒城。 qíng cuì jiē huāngchéng. [fine] [jade-green] [connect] [deserted] [city] a fine jade-green stretches to a ruined city.
又送王孫去， Yòu sòng wángsūn qù, [again] [see off] [king] [descendant] [leave] Once more I see off a nobleman;
萋萋滿別情。 qī qī mǎn bié qíng. [lush] [lush] [full] [depart] [emotion] the lush grasses full of the emotion of departure.
If you notice a mistake or disagree with the translation, please comment below to improve this resource. You might want to have a read of this, as well.
Notes
賦得 refers to using the work of previous writers as a topic. The titles of such poems are prefixed with 賦得 to indicate this.
原 in the poem is 原野 - ‘plains’ or ‘open country’.
离离 in the first line is a compound for describing the appearance of lush grass.
晴翠 refers to the vivid green of the grass in the sunlight.
王孫 in the seventh line refers to the friend, something like “King of Friends” or “Noblest of Friends”.
Source: 赋得古原草送别 - 百度百科
Links:
