Lu Yu: Ji Mountain Travels

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Ji Mountain Travels

 

 

稽 山 行
稽 山 何 巍 巍
浙 江 水 汤 汤。
千 里 亘 大 野
句 践 之 所 荒。
春 雨 桑 柘 绿
秋 风 粳 稻 香。
村 村 作 蟹 椴
处 处 起 鱼 梁。
陂 放 万 斗 鸭
园 覆 千 畦 姜。
春 碓 声 如 雷
私 债 逾 官 仓。
禹 庙 争 奉 牲
兰 亭 共 流 觞。
空 巷 看 竞 渡
倒 社 观 戏 场。
项 里 扬 梅 熟
采 摘 日 夜 忙。
翠 篮 满 山 路
不 数 荔 枝 筐。
星 驰 入 侯 家
那 惜 黄 金 偿?
湘 湖 莼 菜 出
卖 者 环 三 乡。
何 以 共 烹 煮?
鲈 鱼 三 尺 长。
芳 鲜 初 上 市
羊 酪 何 足 当!
镜 湖 滀 众 水
自 汉 无 早 蝗。
重 楼 与 曲 槛
潋 滟 浮 湖 光。
舟 行 以 当 车
小 伞 遮 新 妆。
浅 坊 小 陌 间
深 夜 理 丝 簧。
我 老 述 此 诗
妄 继 古 乐 章。
恨 无 季 札 听
大 国 风 泱 泱。

 

Ji Shan Xing

Ji shan he wei wei
Zhe jiang shui shang shang.
Qian li gen da ye
Gou jian zhi suo huang.

Chun yu sang zhe lu
Qiu feng jing dao xiang.
Cun cun zuo xie duan
Chu chu qi yu liang.

Bei fang wan dou ya
Yuan fu qian qi jiang.
Chun dui sheng ru lei
Si zhai yu guan cang.

Yu miao zheng feng sheng
Lan ting gong liu shang.
Kong xiang kan jing du
Dao she guan xi chang.

Xiang li yang mei shu
Cai zhai ri ye mang.
Cui lan man shan lu
Bu shu li zhi kuang.

Xing chi ru hou jia
Na xi huang jin chang?
Xiang hu chun cai chu
Mai zhe huan san xiang.

He yi gong peng zhu?
Lu yu san chi chang.
Fang xian chu shang shi
Yang lao he zu dang!

Jing hu chu zhong shui
Zi han wu zao huang.
Chong lou you qu jian
Lian yan fu hu guang.

Zhou xing yi dang che
Xiao san zhe xin zhuang.                                                                                                    Qian fang xiao mo jian
Shen ye li si huang.

Wo lao shu ci shi
Wang ji gu le zhang.
Hen wu ji zha ting
Da guo feng yang yang.

 

Ji Mountain Travels

Ji mountain range soaring and lofty
Zhejiang rivers with very high water levels.
Large spans of water thousands of miles in the open country
Gou Jian destroyed the Wu nation, only wastelands remain.

Spring rains turn mulberry and cudrania trees green
Autumn winds bring the fragrances of a jingdao rice harvest.
Every village with many crab traps
Every weir impounds water with many fish.

Ten thousand decaliter ponds with many ducks
Gardens of rectangular plots enclose thousands of ginger roots.
Spring dui sounds boom like thunder.
Private storehouses exceed the food inside the government ones.

At the shrine to Emperor Yu they compete to offer their best animals for sacrifice
At the Orchard Pavilion, Wang Xizi and others shared the flows of wine drinking games.
Empty streets and alleys to watch the Dragon Boat races
All twenty-five clan members watch plays performed on their threshing grounds.

At Xiang Li there are many poplar and plum trees
At harvest and gathering time, people busy day and night.
Their full bluish-green baskets line the roads and highways
These baskets and branches are as valuable as lizi fruit.

When the stars come out, these fruits quickly get delivered to the rich and noble households
Will their yellow gold satisfy their desires?
Lake Xiang chuncai water plants require still and pure water
And sold only to people in the nearby areas.

What can one cook and boil to go with water lilies?
Eat with a three foot-long perch.
This combination is fresh, fragrant and tasty at the early markets
Goat cheese cannot even compare!

Lake Jing accepts a lot of water from many surrounding streams and rivers
After early Han there has been no locusts from drought.
Towers and buildings built layer after layer up the nearby mountains
Overflowing lake displays floating reflections.

Boat travel preferred over carriages
Newly made-up ladies hold up their small umbrellas.
Small alleys and then footpaths between the fields
Deep in the evening hear stringed and reed instruments.

This old man relates to his poem
I want to continue this ancient music and life.
Hate not having the Qin Xiang Gong period of time
With no one comprehending my understanding and appreciation.

 

Notes:

Ji mountains: Located around the city of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province.

Gou Jian:  (r. 496-465 BC). King of the Yue state that conquered and annexed the Wu state.

Cudrania:   A tree native to southeast Asia and related to the mulberry.  Also known as the Mandarin Melonberry.

Jingdao rice: A variety that is round and non-glutinous.

Dui sounds: A stone mill used to dehull the rice.

Emperor Yu:  (?-2025 BC) Legendary leader who is famous for the introduction of flood controls. He established the Xia Dynasty.

Orchard Pavilion:  A gathering of 42 literati in 353 AD near Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. Participants engaged in landscape poetry, the ideas of Zhuangzi, and played drinking and poetry games.

Lizi:  Tropical fruit tree native to southern China.  Favored by many emperors.

Lake Xiang: Located inside the area of Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province.

Qin Xiang Gong:  (?-766 BC) The Duke of Qin, a vassal state within the Zhou Dynasty.

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