Song of Peach Flower Temple

Song of Peach Flower Temple
By Tang Bohu (1470-1523, Ming)
Translated Laijon 20100131

In a remote peach valley,
There’s a peach temple.
And in that peach temple,
There dwells a peach god.
And the peach flower god,
Plants all his peach trees.
And he sells his peach bloom,
To trade for his peach wine.
He wakes up from drunkenness,
And meditates among peach bloom.
When he drinks up his wine,
He falls asleep under peach bloom.
Half sober and half drunk,
He lives in hangover day after day.
And flower fade flower bloom
Year after year in his yard.
He wishes he stays with his peach trees,
And getting old and dies under them.
And he never wants to give bows
In front of any chariot or horse.
Chariot dust and hoof prints
Are interests of the rich.
But wine cup and flower branch
Are the karma of poor.
If people compare their wealth,
The rich are in heave, the poor on earth.
If people look at the chariot and horse,
The rich gets their ride, but I have my rest.
Others all laugh at me;
They say that I’m crazy;
But I laugh back at them;
That they’re not enlightened.
Don’t you ever see
That by the tomb of past heroes,
Now there’s no flower and wine,
Only an enriched field is ready for spring.

Chinese:
桃花庵歌
唐伯虎
桃花坞里桃花庵，
桃花庵下桃花仙；
桃花仙人种桃树，
又摘桃花换酒钱。
酒醒只在花前坐，
酒醉还来花下眠；
半醒半醉日复日，
花落花开年复年。
但愿老死花酒间，
不愿鞠躬车马前；
车尘马足富者趣，
酒盏花枝贫者缘。
若将富贵比贫者，
一在平地一在天；
若将贫贱比车马，
他得驱驰我得闲。
别人笑我忒疯癫，
我笑他人看不穿；
不见五陵豪杰墓，
无花无酒锄作田。　

Traveling Night I Reflect

Traveling Night I Reflect
By Du Fu
Translated by Laijon Liu 20100120

Thin grass, chill breeze
Along the shores
High mast, alone boat
In this silent night

The stars are hanging
Over the vast plane field
And the bright moon
Flows in this giant river

Our name and fame
Are truly earned by writing?
How the office task
Is dismissed by my sickness?

Ah, drift and I drift
To whom shall I compare?
Between heaven and earth,
I am just a lonesome gull.

Chinese:
旅夜书怀
杜甫

细草微风岸，
危樯独夜舟。
星垂平野阔，
月涌大江流。
名岂文章著，
官应老病休，
飘飘何所似，
天地一沙鸥。

One Cut Plum

One Cut Plum
By Li Qingzhao
Translated by Laijon Liu 20090107

Red lotus roots
Give out their fragrance
And my reed mat
Cold as autumn jade.
I wrap my shoulders
With a light silk jacket
Alone step into my blue boat.

Who is in the cloud flying
And carrying my brocade mail?
When the wild goose returns
With my love letter,
The moon shall fill my west chamber.

Flowers are floating
To where the stream flows.
One lovesickness
Torments both
Who are at separate places.

This feeling lingers
And I can never resolve.
For it falls off my frowning brow
But lands deeply in my heart.

Poem song by Tong Li
Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByMltUzOLFA

Chinese:
一剪梅

【宋】李清照

红藕香残玉簟秋。
轻解罗裳，独上兰舟。
云中谁寄锦书来？
雁字回时，月满西楼。

花自飘零水自流。
一种相思，两处闲愁。
此情无计可消除，
才下眉头，却上心头。

Short Walk Song

Short Walk Song
By Cao Cao of Three Kingdoms
Translated by Laijon Liu 20100103

Hold wine cup I sing:
How shall our life be?
Like the morning dew,
With the days of grief.
Even if we are fervent,
But sorrows never fade.
What to solve sadness?
Probably only drinks.
The long scholar belt
Tied my will and heart.
For talents and friends
I sigh and chant to now.
Like a deer I call n call,
In the green field I look
For all my good guests
I play my music for all.

Oh the moon so bright
And when can I pluck?
Now my sorrow comes
That it will never cease.
By the road and the path
They come lowly to dwell.
Between farewell n feast,
My heart misses their grace
Bright moon n sparse stars,
The crows flying to south.
They spiral over the trees
To find a branch to perch
Mountain or hills, tall or low
Ocean or lakes, deep or small
The great king bows n prays
For the good service of all!


Chinese:
短歌行
曹操

对酒当歌，人生几何？
譬如朝露，去日苦多。
慨当以慷，忧思难忘。
何以解忧？唯有杜康。
青青子衿，悠悠我心。
但为君故，沉吟至今。
呦呦鹿鸣，食野之苹。
我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙。

明明如月，何时可掇。
忧从中来，不可断绝。
越陌度阡，枉用相存。
契阔谈宴，心念旧恩。
月明星稀，乌鹊南飞。
绕树三匝，何枝可依。
山不厌高，海不厌深。
周公吐哺，天下归心!

Far and Far the Altair Stars

Far and far the Altair stars
Han Anonymous
Translated by Laijon Liu 20100103

Far and far the Altair stars,
Bright and bright is the Vega.
Her beautiful soft hands
Weaving with her loom.
Day and day she’s never done,
Her tears stream like rain.
The Milky Way seems so shallow,
But how long they must wade?
And now they can only stand
On the bank, look toward each other
And sharing no word, but thoughts.