Tamsui Sunset

1 隨行伴影風, Along where pedestrians are, the accompanying wind follows,
2 夕陽淡水紅. Upon the Fresh Water River is a sunset in red.
3 殘霞若久閑, And if the fading fiery clouds are at leisure,
4 必定在夢中. Then a dream I must be in.

5 瑤池夜夜醉 Every night inebriated by the Jasper Pool,
6 桃源朝朝逢 And each morn, at the Peach Blossom Spring we meet.
7 西岸觀音山 Upon the western bank where Mt. Goddess of Mercy is,
8 冷月笑古松 Coldly smiles the mocking moon at the ancient pines.

1 I am taking poetic licence here since in reality, there was no wind and the heat is oppressive and too humid for my enjoyment of the place!

2 Tamsui is the name of the area or the third longest river in Taiwan. The name means “fresh water”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamsui_District

5 Into a dreamlike setting.  The magical pool belonging to the Queen Mother of the West.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mother_of_the_West

6 Another term to mean paradise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peach_Blossom_Spring

7 Back into reality. From the location where the photos were taken, the mountain is on my left. It is so called because it resembles the reclining Bodhisattva.

8 “mockingly” is implied in the Chinese context. The pine represents the poet while the moon represented the beauty that is no longer with the poet.

https://english.tku.edu.tw/TamsuiScenery-detail.asp....

Thursday, October 26, 2023