Nineteen Old Poems translations (古詩十九首)
A complete set of translations of the Han dynasty collection 古詩十九首 (Gǔshī shí jiǔ shǒu - ‘Nineteen Old Poems’). The translations aim to be literal rather than idiomatic, and preserve the word order of the originals where possible. This does result in some awkward English, but should be more useful for students.
- 行行重行行 – Marching On and On
- 青青河畔草 – Green, Green, Grass on the Riverbank
- 青青陵上柏 – Green, Green, Cypress on the Mound
- 今日良宴會 – Today we hold a splendid feast
- 西北有高樓 – A Tall Tower in the Northwest
- 涉江采芙蓉 – Crossing the River to Pick Hibiscus
- 明月皎夜光 – The Clear Moon Shines Brightly by Night
- 冉冉孤生竹 – Frail Bamboo Growing Alone
- 庭中有奇樹 – In the Courtyard there is a Strange Tree
- 迢迢牽牛星 – So Remote, the Cowherd Star
- 迴車駕言邁 – I turn the carriage, pull the reins and set off
- 東城高且長 – The Eastern Wall is High and Long
- 驅車上東門 – I Ride My Chariot from the Upper East Gate
- 去者日以疏 – The Departed Are More Distant Daily
- 生年不滿百 – The Years of Life Reach Not One Hundred
- 凜凜歲云暮 – Bitterly Cold, the Year Ends
- 孟冬寒氣至 – In the First Month of Winter, Cold Air Arrives
- 客從遠方來 – A Guest Comes from Afar
- 明月何皎皎 – Why is the Bright Moon So Clear?
Anki deck
You can download a ready-made Anki flashcard deck of 古詩十九首, with pinyin, annotations and translations.
Useful links
- Chinese Lyricism (Burton Watson) – has a lot of quality translations and analysis.
- Popular Songs and Ballads of Han China (Anne Birrell) – more general insight into verse from this period.
