白居易诗

Poems of Bai Juyi


Index

春题湖上

What Spring Paints on the Lake


湖上春来似画图
乱峰围绕水平铺
松排山面千重翠
月点波心一颗珠

Down to the lake, spring comes like an artist.
Paints the hills which circle round onto flat-spread water.
On those hills, arranges pines, a thousand rows of jade.
And on each ripple of the lake, dots a pearl of moon.

碧毯线头抽早稻
青罗裙带展新蒲
未能抛得杭州去
一半句留是此湖

Upon green carpets round the lake, spring draws out early rice.
And these fine blue silk skirts it binds with young bulrushes.
I could not bring myself to leave Hangzhou without
At least one more half-verse of praise for these blue waters.

-- 白居易


废话

It is 824 and Bai Juyi is recalled from Hangzhou to Chang'an. He is to be Chief Attendant to the Crown Prince. But the new emperor is too young to have a son. Bai Juyi will parley this lack into an easy, do-nothing job in Luoyang, which is still considered the Eastern Capital. It is also a kind of politically neutral ground where Bai can associate with whoever he wishes and still keep a low profile.

Index