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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).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

Oriole

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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