Du Fu: Red Phoenix Omens

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Red Phoenix Omens

朱 凤 行
君 不 见 潇 湘
之 山 衡 山 高
山 巅 朱 凤 声 嗷 嗷。
侧 身 长 顾 求 其 曹
翅 垂 口 噤 心 甚 劳。
下 愍 百 鸟 在 罗 网
黄 雀 最 小 犹 难 逃。
愿 分 竹 实 及 蝼 蚁
尽 使 鸱 枭 相 怒 号。
Zhu Feng Xing

Jun bu jian xiao xiang
Zhi shan heng shan gao
Shan dian zhu feng sheng “Ao Ao”.

Ce shen chang gu qiu qi cao
Chi chui kou jin xin shen lao.
Xia min bai niao zai luo wang
Huang que zui xiao you nan tao.
Yuan fen zhu shi ji lou yi
Jin shi chi xiao xiang nu hao.

 

Red Phoenix Omens

One cannot see the deep and clear Xiang River on the way to the towering Mt. Heng.
On the mountain peaks, the red phoenix sounds of “ao ao”
Turning sideways, they look and call to each other.

But wings drop, mouths keep silent from fearful heart-minds
Looking down, a hundred birds are inside snares and traps.
Even the smallest yellow sparrows still find it difficult to escape
Red phoenixes share their food of bamboo shoots, crickets and ants
Most sparrow hawks and owls squawk loudly to one another.

 

Notes:

Mt. Heng:  Located in north-central Shanxi Province and is the northern mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China.

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