Category: Chinese Culture

Staying Overnight with Abbot Zan
(Abbot of Dayun Temple in the capital, exiled to this place)
Du Fu
宿赞公房
（京中大云寺主谪此安置）

Regret for Peony Flowers
Bai Juyi   Melancholy steps before red peonies
Evening come only be two branches remain
Bright morning wind start cope blow exhaust
Night regret decline red hold fire look I'm saddened by the peonies before the steps, so red,
As evening came I found that only two remained.
Once morning's winds have blown, they surely won't survive,
At night I gaze by lamplight, to cherish the fading red.

Reading Laozi
Bai Juyi
读老子 言者不如知者默
此语吾闻于老君
若道老君是知者
缘何自著五千文
dú lǎo zi

Written for Scholar Wei
Du Fu
赠卫八处士 人生不相见
动如参与商
今夕复何夕
共此灯烛光
少壮能几时
鬓发各已苍
访旧半为鬼
惊呼热中肠
焉知二十载
重上君子堂
昔别君未婚
儿女忽成行
怡然敬父执
问我来何方
问答乃未已
驱儿罗酒浆
夜雨翦春韭
新炊间黄粱
主称会面难
一举累十觞
十觞亦不醉
感子故意长
明日隔山岳
世事两茫茫 zèng wèi bā chǔ shì

Official at Stone Moat Village
Du Fu
石壕吏（陕县有石壕镇） 暮投石壕村
有吏夜捉人
老翁逾墙走
老妇出门看
吏呼一何怒
妇啼一何苦
听妇前致词
三男邺城戍
一男附书至
二男新战死
存者且偷生
死者长已矣
室中更无人
惟有乳下孙
有孙母未去
出入无完裙
老妪力虽衰
请从吏夜归
急应河阳役
犹得备晨炊
夜久语声绝
如闻泣幽咽
天明登前途
独与老翁别 shí háo lì（xiá xiàn yǒu shí háo zhèn）

Night Snow
Bai Juyi
Already surprised quilt pillow cold
Again see window bright
Night deep know snow heavy
Occasionally hear snap bamboo sound I was surprised my quilt and pillow were cold,
I see that now the window's bright again.
Deep in the night, I know the snow is thick,
I sometimes hear the sound as bamboo snaps

Clearing Rain
Du Fu
雨晴（一作秋霁） 天水秋云薄
从西万里风
今朝好晴景
久雨不妨农
塞柳行疏翠
山梨结小红
胡笳楼上发
一雁入高空 yǔ qíng（yī zuò qiū jì）

An Invitation to Mr Liu
Bai Juyi   Green ant new unstrained beer
Red clay small fire stove
Evening come sky almost snow
Can drink one cup not?
Green lees of beer that's newly brewed,
A little stove of red clay burns.
As evening comes, the sky's about to snow,
Can you drink one cup with me?

Spring Night in the Left Office
Du Fu
春宿左省 花隐掖垣暮
啾啾栖鸟过
星临万户动
月傍九霄多
不寝听金钥
因风想玉珂
明朝有封事
数问夜如何 chūn sù zuǒ shěng