孟郊诗
Poems of Meng Jiao
Index
卧病
Down with the Fever
贫病诚可羞 故床无新裘 春色烧肌肤 时餐苦咽喉 |
Poor and sick, I try to eat something good. Same old bed, with no new warmth. Spring outside, I burn for a warm embrace But at eating time, my throat's too sore. |
倦寝意蒙昧 强言声幽柔 承颜自俯仰 有泪不敢流 |
Tired in bed, thoughts all gone rowdy, Try too speak but it comes out whispery soft. I'd be pleased to see you, for even a moment. I could cry but don't dare let myself go. |
默默寸心中 朝愁续莫愁 |
I'm drawing you from memory, deep in my mind. Hurt so much this morning, can't hurt no more. |
-- 孟郊
废话
Okay, the real title is "Bedsick." But fever is the character in the middle of line 3. And something in line 2 reminded me of Booker White's "Down with the Fever." Next thing I knew, same theme was coming through here as there -- missing a woman. So I ran with it. It wasn't even a stretch. Yeah, you could take it as if he's just sick in bed. But you can take every Tang poem about six ways. I'm putting my money on "missing a woman." I'm picturing him here, playing his qin with a backbeat, singing so loud neighbors bang rhythm on the walls.