Two Variations on the Same Theme - 同題二變

Continuing with the same theme of the last poem in "Three Untitled Poems".

 https://jeffinous.blogspot.com/2019/02/three-untitled-poems.html

The original line was 黄鶯夜哭啼 - The late night weeping of the yellow oriole.  Halfway through, the storyline morphed into something different.  However, the last line of the original, 來朝誰所為, For whom is the coming of dawn? is too enticing to be discarded.  After the second poem was finished in a few hours, I was able to return to the original one and finished it.

黄鶯樹上啼 The yellow oriole chirping in the tree,

驚破夢幻世 Shattering my dream world fantasy.

莫停倦壓煩 Its non-stop twittering vexing me to end,

頃刻房搬誓 Instantly, I vowed to move away.

幽靜秋景林 It's all quiet in the autumn forest,

寂寞春光廢 Loneliness is springtime banished.

昔日舊鳴憶 Long I yearn for the twittering of the past,

少時色魔迷 Alas, befuddled by the then lustful demon of youth.

黄鶯哭夜啼 The yellow oriole weeping in the night,

驚破夢幻世 Shattering my dream world of fantasy.

燭淚已成空 No more dripping tears from the candle,

來朝誰所為 For whom is the coming of dawn?

窗外另人春 Outside the window is springtime for others,

房中自困迷 But in my room is self-trapped befuddlement.

弱質從何至 From whence such weak constitution came?

養恩育枉廢 All the upbringing and education but in vain.

Three Untitled Poems - 無題三首

The of these trio was based on the first draft line while I was doodling with my brush... 天上又見月圓掛 on 24 Feb 2019. Most problematic were the last two lines as I tried to express the storyline.

天上仍有月圓掛,
Still hung before the heavens is a moon that can be full once more,
獨照草原看胡馬.
Shining alone and tending to the nomadic horses.
多年舊人容衰改,
Many a year old faces must have changed in wane,
門前猶豫相隔認怕.
Fearful hesitation as we tried to recognize each other at the doorstep.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

This one was again based on Wang Chang Lin's 秦時明月漢時関 which was started on the same day. 

月升秦時識 
I know how the moon rose during the Chin times,

風吹漢關跡  
As with the winds blowing over the Han ruins.

人夢水流同 
Dreams of man are the same, like waters flowing,

只是彩異覓 
Only the hues are different when sought.



Finally, this was penned a day later and finalized on the same day as the previous two.

悔信楊柳花語閑,

Regret in believing the flowery words of the poplar and willow,

風吹樹動葉飛殘. 

And as the wind blew the quaking tree, leaves began their inevitable journey.

同林鳥分遲日事,

Birds Parting in the forest is just a matter of time,

醉醒應是黄昏晚.  

It must be evening when drunken stupor wakes.

The Captain and the Cabin Boy - 船長與船艙童

This is such a wonderful story that I cannot resist from translation from English into Chinese. I had corrected and refined the English version.

https://www.italki.com/notebook/6027610/entry/976516

The Captain and the Cabin-boy - A translation from Russian into English

船長與船艙童 - 俄語英文翻譯

The cabin boy wondered and asked,  “Pray tell Captain Sir, why we cannot see the shore?  Why aren't any albatross cry above the waters? Where are we heading? Why don't our cannons fire? And why is the old cook not making meals for the crew? When will we return home? Why aren't there any order from you yet?” 

船艙童子疑問着「船主大人, 借問海岸何不見? 信天翁水上何不哭? 船向何處? 為何船炮莫嚮? 火頭軍為何工停? 何日家歸? 傳令未發矣?」

The captain replied, “We don't see the shore for it's too far away.  Albatross don't live here and our course is  to the south-east. The old cook doesn't feel well.  There is no enemy around and so our cannons remain silent. We are going to West-India  and when the cargo's unloaded,  we shall then be heading home.” 

船長微答「陸岸不見, 悠遠也. 信天翁在此莫居, 船向東南, 老火之工停, 身不舒. 敵人莫存, 何因發嚮? 船向西竺, 卸貨家還.」

“Oh Captain Sir, there's no wind here at all!”

「船長大人啊, 此處無風矣! 」

" A calm sea for sure...” came the reply.

「必定風靜浪平喲... 」一笑答而至.

“I see neither stars nor the sun in the sky.”

「天上日月星辰不見也.」

“Tonight's fog will be heavy tonight then.” 

「今夜烟濃霧厚吧」

“Alas Captain Sir! I have a sudden feeling that we won't see land anymore.  Perhaps we are amissed? Captain Sir, are we not going anywhere?  For what are we waiting for?” 

「船長大人, 船長大人啊, 我心血來潮, 陸地再難見, 或許有不對之處呢? 是否何處莫去? 等待何時? 」

"The ship had gone down with all hands on board a long time ago. We are at the bottom of the seabed and  ten thousand nights had passed.  We keep on speaking of the same things with the  same old words uttered."

「舟沉全沒, 時久已去, 海底萬夜之過. 你我以相同對答非止, 就此永恆同句一問一答矣. 」

Monday, February 25, 2019

After the Los Angeles Rains - 羅省雨後

Finally the rains are over and the sun is shining in Los Angeles... The feel of spring is here with the ending of Chinese New Year celebrations.

春水鴛鴦戲 Mandarin ducks frolicking in the waters of spring,

池塘柳風微 Pond willows sway in the gentle breeze.

日落蓮葉棲 And when the sun sets, nestling under the lotus leaves,

共夢永不離 Sharing dreams of being together forever more.

一瞥枕上繡 One glance at the embroidery on the pillows,

多年莫須理 Many a year with mending unneeded.
綫光仍如舊 For the threads remain shiny like in the days of old,

寢寂無限淚 Loneliness filled the bedchamber of tears without end.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

A Life Of Its Own - 其生自倉

Sometimes, a poem can take on a life of its own. It had been raining nonstop for the past few days in Los Angeles. I was listening to the rain; listening to the sounds of my brush strokes when suddenly an idea came. And In no time, paper piled up like small hills as drafts upon drafts and refinement upon refinement, the poem unceasingly took shape. However, it would not bend to the way I had envisioned. But then, as if it had its own mind; slowly but surely, forming and coalescing according to its will and I, its mere instrument, an invisible hand to which this work finally composed.

有時一首詩可自創其生.羅省在這幾天中,雨下不停.聽着聲滴,聽着毛筆隨習之寫音.忽然間,一念頭不意而臨. 頃刻紙積如山, 稿上加稿,精上鍛青, 漸漸墨黑成體. 雖此,為其心所意,不服我預念. 慢緩緩地,莫停停地,把其思維聚結,而我呢?只不過一木儡也,為其無形之手替作,終斷定此文.

雨後聲滴若心拍
The rain's gone but like the beating of my heart, sounds a drip,
壺暖杯空待路客
To the traveller, a warm pot and an empty cup await.
昔日商女昔日曲
Same old songstress with same old tunes,
景前只是春色隔
Only the scene before me are spring colors apart.

弦盡音斷幾銅錢

The strings are done; the melody broken; measly coppers paid,
想當眉鎖千金刻
To think that once upon a time, a thousand gold pieces for her brows in knit.
難留嵗月更難請
Difficult it is to stay the leaving years; impossible to invite back,
休憐今景己髮白
So pity not the scene of now when one's very own hair too, is white

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

日月星辰 - The Sun, the Moon, the Stars and the Hours.

This poem was inspired from the line, 日月星辰.

日落楓紅黄屋金, Red are the maple leaves with the setting sun and yellow houses turning into gold, 

月升林暗烏江銀. The forests grew dark with the rising moon and the black river shimmers in silver. 

星垂何踪借一問, Where may the stars drape I dare asked, and
辰盡宿殘醉誰人? When the hours are gone; the constellations dissipated; to whom they inebriate?

While watching a video on Youtube, I came across this poem but found no result on the internet.  So I suppose it must be written by some non famous person...

青草橋頭景物微 Green is the grass by the bridge's end and things around seemed small
珠琿塔邊雁難飛 Difficult it is for the geese to fly by the Pagoda of Pearl and Jade.

蒸湘緩緩輕流動 The gentle River Jing meanders lazily,

汗灑石鼓濕頸圍 And upon the stone drums sprinkled, are sweat from my wet collar.

I quite like the first four character combo and decided to try my hand at it...

青草橋頭水流東 Green is the grass by the bridge's end as the waters flow east,

船舟漸別影成夢 The boats are slowly departing and shadows turn into dreams.
回顧襟前淚一滴 Turning back for one last look, upon the bosom, a tear dropped,

杯中自有重相逢 In my wine cup I shall see you once more.

As I wrote this poem with a brush, a three character combo came into my mind and reversing the first four characters...  Since, the last character no longer fits the rhyming scheme, might as well rewrote the poem to something different.

橋頭青草岸邊花 Green grasses by the bridge's end and flowers fragrant on the banks,

相別時到心又怕 As the hour of departure drew near, the heart gives in to fear.

赴京榮幸路程惡 Taking the Imperial exams is a privileged honor but the road is fraught with danger,

朝望夜夢早日家 Mornings I hoped; nights I dreamt that you will return home safely.