Monday, May 30, 2011

Poetry of Wei Zhuang

Pu Sa Lang
by Poet Wei Zhuang (Tang Poet 836-910)
Translated Laijon Liu 20110530

1/5
In the red chamber, our parting night, sadness
Incense candlelight, half rolled curtains hanging
The crescent moon above the gate
And in tear we bid farewell

Gold emerald feather tied on your pipa
And its four strings sang like oriole
It urged me to come home
It begged me to return soon
Coz the one behind the green gauze glows like a bloom

2/5
Everyone says the River South is nice
Visitor should settle there and get old
The spring river there blue like sky
In a painted boat, hear the raindrops while doze

The women in the bar like moon
Their fair arms shine as frosty snow
Oh young visitor, don’t leave for home
If you leave, you will regret on the road.

3/5
But now I miss the good old days in the River South
That time I was young, and in spring I wore a thin shirt
Riding on my horse, waiting by the leaning bridge
On those chambers, red sleeves were all waving at me

Behind the golden door rings and the lime blinds
I fell drunk in the blossom bush
If I see the blooming twigs again
I swear by my gray hair, I won’t go back home.

4/5
Let’s toast for tonight, let’s get drunk now
Raise our cup and worry not tomorrow
Treasure the good will of our host
The wine is thick like love and friendship

Only be anxious that our spring is short
And don’t complain our gold cups are all full
When we’ve got wine, we drink, ha ha
Oh life, how uncertain it is!

5/5
Spring is always beautiful in Luoyang
But the talent of Luoyang grow old in this foreign town
There the willow must cover the King Wei riverbank
And now I feel I’ve been long lost

Here the peach-blossom by the green ripple again
The Mandarin ducks bath in pairs
And I’m grieving, watching the setting sun
Oh I miss you, but you do not know.

Note:
five sequence Ci poems that Tang Poet Wei Zhuang wrote about his life and political career maybe really about his love life? maybe not, it's possible the poet only used love content in all five poems as metaphor for his love and grief toward the old empire that he could no longer serve, Tang, but truly touching, very real, like lost love songs.

Chinese:
韦庄《菩萨蛮》
唐 836-910

1/5
红楼别夜堪惆怅,
香灯半卷流苏帐。
残月出门时,
美人和泪辞。

琵琶金翠羽,
弦上黄莺语。
劝我早归家,
绿窗人似花。

2/5
人人尽说江南好,
游人只合江南老。
春水碧于天,
画船听雨眠。

垆边人似月,
皓腕凝霜雪。
未老莫还乡,
还乡须断肠。

3/5
如今却忆江南乐,
当时年少春衫薄。
骑马倚斜桥,
满楼红袖招。

翠屏金屈曲,
醉入花丛宿。
此度见花枝,
白头誓不归。

4/5
劝君今夜须沉醉,
樽前莫话明日事。
珍重主人心,
酒深情亦深。

须愁春漏短,
莫诉金杯满。
遇酒且呵呵,
人生能几何。

5/5
洛阳城里春光好,
洛阳才子他乡老。
柳暗魏王堤,
此时心转迷。

桃花春水绿,
水上鸳鸯浴。
凝恨对残晖,
忆君君不知。

Friday, May 27, 2011

A bloom is a world, a leaf is a Buddha

Zen Poem [Ask Buddha]
By tshang dbyangs rgya mtsho (1683 – 1706) Dalai Lama VI
Translated by Laijon Liu 20110527

Sitting is Zen, walking is Zen
A bloom is a world, a leaf is a Buddha
Spring comes, plants are green
Autumn arrives, leaves are fallen
The Great Wisdom is a heart at ease
Words or silence, move or still
All come naturally through peace

Chinese:
坐亦禅,行亦禅,
一花一世界,一叶一如来,
春来花自青,
秋至叶飘零,
无穷般若心自在,
语默动静体自然

Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Greatest Chinese Poet Is Still Living Now

There are so many good, great Chinese poets. All people heard of Qu Yuan, Li Po, Du Fu, Cao Xueqin, but not many people, include Chinese ever heard of Poet Huang Xiang, currently lives in US, dispelled by China gov, coz he just refuses to shut up.
His poems are passionate and powerful, unstoppable free spirit gushing! that immerses all readers.
I've never the poet, but I am planning to search and contact this Great Poet, and pay my respect to him.
I will be very happy!

His poems:

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Dead Fear Not Death

The Dead Fear Not Death
Laijon Liu 20110518

They stand on top and lie:
“Sudden change is no good.
Many people could die,
And nation could collapse.”

But the dead fear not death,
Eager eyes will never shut.
Only words can bring peace,
And silence ain't no harmony!

Note:
Civil is self-discipline, one can control their greed, correct their own mistake.
The principal difference between dead and live is that
life holds its freedom but the dead have no choice, just like a caged bird has no life.
God grants people freedom, but slave masters don’t want their slaves to think, look and speak freely, so they must control.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Cinderella Lament

Cinderella Lament
Laijon Liu 20110506

White plates stack like clouds
Laundries piled up as mountains
From dawn to dusk that thin figure
Flickering in this dim world

Oil drops, grease marks
Mixed up her sweat and tears
Becomes ashen cream
Smeared off her pure fair face

Bed is her dreamland
But every short coma
Is ended by a sudden woke
Kitchen is her battlefield
Grand feasts roll like swelling waves
toward her
And left her squatting on the remains
Sobbing and sipping the leftover soup

A pair filthy tiny bony shaky hands
Cannot bear to hold up a teacup
And so much dirt still cannot cover
The needle mark and knife scar on her fingers
Her sleepy eyes never dare to shut
Never be able to open wide, yet
They can’t close up her fear and desperation

Night is her only friend
When people quiet, she’s afraid no more
Night is her true family
It’s like a kind goddess
Listens to her words and prayers

Ah! Mother!
Let the rats become good horses
Let my coal cart be a pumpkin coach
Let me dash to a foreign kingdom
To dance with my white horse prince
And he shall adore my pure feet
And following my fragrant footstep
He shall find me and marry me!

Night, eternally silent
She repeatedly speaks about her dream
She repeatedly looks up to the stars
That pale moon is going to sink again
And when the red sun rises from east
There will be a wild storm coming again.
Note:
I used to like Cinderella tale when I was a kid, for its inspiration, but now I dislike the story, it’s not a inspiring tale anymore, more like a lie, that rulers or masters or Cinderella’s stepmother use to get a cheap labor of people and Cinderella, and everyday they remind us that one day a handsome prince riding on a white horse will come and save us, and we will be happy after. But so many generations all waited, some were lucky spent their whole life in a dream and died in a dream, and the unlucky ones, they were lied to and after the White Horse Prince married them, they were treated like the same as slave maid, and some even experienced worse. I don’t want to be political but the fact is there for everyone to exam.

Her White Horse Prince should come
An infatuated girl is waiting in dark
But there never crystal shoes in world
Nor the rats can become good horses

Chinese:

灰姑娘哀歌

白碟堆云 衣袜积山
从黎明到黄昏 那廋弱的身影
就在这冥界里忽隐忽现

油脂粘迹 汗珠泪花
混成灰色的妆膏
涂去那纯美的面容

床铺是梦乡
但那每次短暂的昏死
却是以惊醒收场
厨房是战场
盛宴像狂潮般的滚过
剩下的她 就蹲在那废墟中
泣食剩汤

一双骨瘦颤抖的脏手
累的抱不起一个茶碗
再多的污垢也盖不住
那数不尽的刺痕和刀伤
她那睁不开的双眼
合不住惊恐和绝望

夜 是她唯一的朋友
人静时 她不再惧怕
夜 是她真正的亲人
像一个慈祥的女神
聆听着她的言语和祷告

啊!母亲!
让硕鼠变成骏马
让煤车成为座驾
我要飞驰到异国
在那俊美的王子前翩舞
他毕爱慕我洁净的双足
会追寻我的芳迹 将我迎娶

夜 永恒的沉默
她一次次的述说梦想
她一次次的仰望星空
那苍白的月亮又要沉下去了
当红日东升时 就又是一场风暴

这就是俺为啥讨厌灰姑娘,每一听到人提起灰姑娘,俺就感觉咱们一直被骗,还在跟灰姑娘一样梦想,俺宁愿死在现实,不愿活在梦中。

白马王子会来到,
姑娘痴情灰中等。
世上若有水晶鞋,
老鼠都能变骏駺!