'There is a town in north Ontario'

[flemmings]

Blue blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Big birds flying across the sky
Throwing shadows on our eyes
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless...


早寒江上有怀   Memories in Early Winter by Meng Haoran

木落雁南渡    South go the wild geese, for leaves are now falling,
北风江上寒    And the water is cold with a wind from the north
我家襄水曲    I remember my home; but the Xiang River's curves
遥隔楚云端    Are walled by the clouds of this southern country
乡泪客中尽    I go forward. I weep till my tears are spent.
孤帆天际看    I see a sail in the far sky
迷津欲有问    Where is the ferry? Will somebody tell me?
平海夕漫漫    It's growing rough. It's growing dark.


木落雁南渡    Trees shed leaves, and geese are flying south;
北風江上寒    The north wind blows, here on the river it's cold.
我家襄水曲    My home is at the bend of the waters of Xiang
遙隔楚雲端    Far beyond the edge of the clouds of Chu.
鄉淚客中盡    Travelling, I've exhausted my tears for home,
孤帆天際看    I watch a lone sail at the heavens' end.
迷津欲有問    The ferry's gone- who can I ask where?
平海夕漫漫    Darkness falls beside the level sea

Comments

[feliciter.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting the poem. The 2nd translation is more accurate, especially the last line which, for me, captures the mood of the whole.

I prefer Meng Haoran to Wang Wei, because am not of abstract bent, my favourite being this old chestnut (http://wengu.tartarie.com/wg/wengu.php?l=Tangshi&no=232) (French translation is more accurate).

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Of course I see nothing abstract about Wang Wei because I miss all the background content and only note the foreground landscapes.

I wonder if it's language scrim that makes the French seem easier and more mellifluous than the English (apart from Bittner taking his usual liberties.) Though I think I have trouble with that 'murmure'. Must have been a very distant storm.

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Yum!

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Is, rather.

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

*sigh* thank you for posting ... times like these - by which I mean summer turning into autumn and the leaves turning orange, red, yellow and the long days of summer picking up a brisk breeze is what I miss about living in four seasons ...

.... but then of course I remember the winters and then I count some of my blessings. ^_^

Once again thank you for sharing.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Autumn does indeed compensate for much of winter, but living in a country where people believe in central heating in winter has its share. Will still take winter over summer, however, because here heat is considered an essential and air conditioning a luxury.