李白 贈從弟冽 translation: Offered as a Present to My Nephew Lie, by Li Bai
This is a very rough annotation / translation of the poem 贈從弟冽 (Zèng Cóngdì Liè), ‘Offered as a Present to My Nephew Lie’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).
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贈從弟冽 Zèng Cóngdì Liè [offer to] [nephew][] [Lie] Offered as a Present to My Nephew Lie
楚人不识凤, Chǔ rén bù shí fèng, [Chu] [person] [not] [recognise] [phoenix] The people of Chu do not recognise the phoenix;
重价求山鸡。 zhòng jià qiú shān jī. [heavy] [price] [seek] [mountain] [chicken] they pay high prices but actually get mountain chicken.
献主昔云是, Xiàn zhǔ xī yún shì, [offer] [master] [former] [say] [this] Presenting to one's master, one used to speak of this;
今来方觉迷。 jīn lái fāng jué mí. [today] [come] [only then] [realise] [confuse] only now do I realise my delusion.
自居漆园北, Zì jū qī yuán běi, [since] [live] [Qi] [Yuan] [north] Since one lived north of Qiyuan,
久别咸阳西。 jiǔbié xiányáng xi. [long time] [part] [Xian] [Yang] [west] it's been a long time since one parted with the west of Xianyang.
风飘落日去, Fēng piāoluò rì qù, [wind] [float] [fall] [sun] [go] The wind blows and the setting sun disappears;
节变流莺啼。 jié biàn liú yīng tí. [season] [change] [oriole][] [cry] the seasons change, the orioles call.
桃李寒未开, Táolǐ hán wèi kāi, [peach] [plum] [cold] [not yet] [open] The peaches and plums in the cold have not yet blossomed;
幽关岂来蹊。 yōu guān qǐ lái qī. [remote] [mountain pass] [how] [come] [footpath] in this remote mountain pass, how can one come to a footpath?
逢君发花萼, Féng jūn fā huā'è, [encounter] [sir] [bloom] [flower] [stem] Meeting you, sir, is like the blooming of flowers;
若与青云齐。 ruò yǔ qīngyún qí. [as if] [with] [blue] [cloud] [level] as if one is level with the clear sky.
及此桑叶绿, Jí cǐ sāng yè lǜ, [in time for] [this] [mulberry] [leaf] [green] In time for these mulberry leaves to turn green,
春蚕起中闺。 chūncán qǐ zhōng guī. [silkworm][] [rise] [in] [women's room] the silkworms grow in the women's rooms.
日出布谷鸣, Rì chū bùgǔ míng, [sun] [come out] [cuckoo][] [call] The sun comes out and the cuckoo calls;
田家拥锄犁。 tiánjiā yōng chú lí. [field] [person] [hold] [hoe] [plough] the farmer holds the plough.
顾余乏尺土, Gù yú fá chǐtǔ, [but] [I] [lack] [foot] [land] Yet I lack even a foot of land -
东作谁相携。 dōng zuò shéi xiāng xié. [east] [do] [who] [it] [carry] who can help me?
傅说降霖雨, Fùshuō jiàng línyǔ, [Fu] [Shuo] [drop] [rain] [rain] Fushuo makes the rain fall;
公输造云梯。 Gōngshū zào yúntī. [Gong] [Shu] [make] [cloud] [ladder] Gongshupan makes the stairway to heaven.
羌戎事未息, Qiāng róng shì wèi xi, [Qiang] [military] [matter] [not yet] [rest] The war of the Qiang never ends;
君子悲涂泥。 jūnzǐ bēi tu ní. [nobleman][] [sorrow] [daub] [mud] one's sorrow is deep.
报国有长策, Bào guó yǒu cháng cè, [dedicate to] [country] [have] [long] [policy] In dedication to one's country, one has far-sighted strategies;
成功羞执珪。 chénggōng xiū zhí guī. [success][] [shy] [grasp] [jade tablet] but if successful one would be ashamed to take office.
无由谒明主, Wú yóu yè míng zhǔ, [not have] [for] [visit] [bright] [ruler] One has no way to visit Our Emperor;
杖策还蓬藜。 zhàng cè huán péng lí. [walking stick] [cane] [return] [plant] [plant] leaning on a walking stick, one returns to the fields.
他年尔相访, Tā nián ěr xiāng fǎng, [other] [year] [you] [it] [visit] If in the future you come to visit,
知我在磻溪。 zhī wǒ zài Pánxī. [know] [I] [at] [Pan] [Xi] know that I am at Panxi.
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