Gaze Into the Distance to the Next Post Station
望 驿 台
靖 安 宅 里 当 窗 柳
望 驿 台 前 扑 地 花。
两 处 春 光 同 日 尽
居 人 思 客 客 思 家。
Wang Yi Tai
Jing an zhai li dang chuang liu
Wang yi tai qian pu di hua.
Liang chu chun guang tong ri jin
Ju ren si ke ke si jia.
Gaze Into the Distance to the Next Post Station
By now you are thinking of being inside your Jing An house, looking through your windows at the willow trees
You gaze into the distance to a post station where flowers had been thrown onto the earth.
We both have early springtime scenes
Stay-home people think of travelers like you that are missing their homes.
Notes:
Jing An: A major road in the capital city of Chang’an.
Post Station: In ancient China, these structures were built about every ten miles along major travel routes. They were used primarily by government workers going to and from their assignments. They often had inns, restaurants, bars and teahouses, as well as fresh horses for the next leg of their journeys.
