白居易诗
Poems of Bai Juyi
Index
忆江南三首
Remembering Jiangnan
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江南好 风景旧曾谙 日出江花红胜火 春来江水绿如蓝 能不忆江南 |
Jiangnan is good. Its scenery has long been known by all. Sun comes out and river flowers burn bright red. Spring arrives and river's green turns blue. How can one forget Jiangnan? |
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江南忆 最忆是杭州 山寺月中寻桂子 郡亭枕上看潮头 何日更重游 |
Jiangnan memories. I most remember Hangzhou. Mountain temples in moonlight. Seeking talented men. Sleeping in River Tower. Watching a tidal bore roll in. When will I wander there again? |
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江南忆 其次忆吴宫 吴酒一杯春竹叶 吴娃双舞醉芙蓉 早晚复相逢 |
Jiangnan memories. Next most, I remember Wu Palace. A cup of Wu wine. New leaves of spring bamboo. Two lovely, young Wu dancers. Getting drunk. Lotuses. Sooner or later, we will meet again. |
-- 白居易
废话
Jiangnan means simply "South of the River" or south of the Yangzi. It's where you go when you are exiled. This poem, written who-knows-when, is a lyric. Lyric poems take music that the poets know and put new words to the tune. We don't know the tune. Only that Bai Juyi had a good time in exile, all things considered.