Tang Yun唐韵
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唐韵 · the collection

Every poem, in English and Chinese

63 poems by 23 poets of the Tang dynasty, each with a line-by-line translation and a short note on what to notice. New poems are added every week.

01Five-character quatrain

静夜思

Quiet Night Thoughts

Li Bai 李白

床前明月光·疑是地上霜

Before my bed the bright moon shines —

02Seven-character quatrain

望庐山瀑布

Looking at the Waterfall of Mount Lu

Li Bai 李白

日照香炉生紫烟·遥看瀑布挂前川

The sun strikes Incense Burner Peak and violet mist rises;

03Seven-character quatrain

早发白帝城

Leaving Baidi City at Dawn

Li Bai 李白

朝辞白帝彩云间·千里江陵一日还

At dawn I leave Baidi among the painted clouds;

04Five-character quatrain

独坐敬亭山

Sitting Alone on Mount Jingting

Li Bai 李白

众鸟高飞尽·孤云独去闲

All the birds have flown high and disappeared;

05Seven-character quatrain

黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵

Seeing Meng Haoran Off at Yellow Crane Tower

Li Bai 李白

故人西辞黄鹤楼·烟花三月下扬州

My old friend takes his leave of Yellow Crane Tower, heading east;

06Seven-character quatrain

春夜洛城闻笛

Hearing a Flute on a Spring Night in Luoyang

Li Bai 李白

谁家玉笛暗飞声·散入春风满洛城

From whose house does the jade flute send its hidden notes,

07Seven-character quatrain

望天门山

Looking at Heaven's Gate Mountain

Li Bai 李白

天门中断楚江开·碧水东流至此回

Heaven's Gate is split apart; the Chu river cuts through.

08Five-character quatrain

秋浦歌

Song of Autumn Pool

Li Bai 李白

白发三千丈·缘愁似个长

My white hair — three thousand zhang long,

09Five-character regulated verse

春望

Spring Prospect

Du Fu 杜甫

国破山河在·城春草木深

The state is broken; mountains and rivers remain.

10Seven-character quatrain

绝句

Quatrain (Two Orioles)

Du Fu 杜甫

两个黄鹂鸣翠柳·一行白鹭上青天

Two yellow orioles sing in the emerald willows;

11Seven-character quatrain

江畔独步寻花

Walking Alone by the River, Looking for Flowers

Du Fu 杜甫

黄四娘家花满蹊·千朵万朵压枝低

Huang Si Niang's path is crowded with flowers;

12Five-character regulated verse

月夜

A Moonlit Night

Du Fu 杜甫

今夜鄜州月·闺中只独看

Tonight, the moon over Fuzhou —

13Five-character regulated verse

春夜喜雨

Happy Rain on a Spring Night

Du Fu 杜甫

好雨知时节·当春乃发生

Good rain knows its season;

14Seven-character regulated verse

登高

Climbing the Height

Du Fu 杜甫

风急天高猿啸哀·渚清沙白鸟飞回

The wind is sharp, the sky high; gibbons wail, mournful.

15Five-character ancient verse

望岳

Gazing at the Sacred Peak

Du Fu 杜甫

岱宗夫如何·齐鲁青未了

How should I speak of Mount Tai?

16Five-character regulated verse

旅夜书怀

Writing My Thoughts on a Night Journey

Du Fu 杜甫

细草微风岸·危樯独夜舟

Fine grass, a light wind on the bank;

17Five-character ancient verse

月下独酌

Drinking Alone Under the Moon

Li Bai 李白

花间一壶酒·独酌无相亲

A jug of wine among the flowers,

18Five-character quatrain

鹿柴

Deer Enclosure

Wang Wei 王维

空山不见人·但闻人语响

Empty mountain: no one is seen,

19Five-character quatrain

竹里馆

Pavilion in the Bamboo

Wang Wei 王维

独坐幽篁里·弹琴复长啸

Sitting alone in the hidden bamboo,

20Five-character quatrain

相思

Yearning

Wang Wei 王维

红豆生南国·春来发几枝

Red beans grow in the southern land;

21Five-character regulated verse

山居秋暝

Autumn Evening in the Mountains

Wang Wei 王维

空山新雨后·天气晚来秋

Empty mountain, after new rain;

22Five-character quatrain

鸟鸣涧

Birds Calling in the Ravine

Wang Wei 王维

人闲桂花落·夜静春山空

Man at leisure, osmanthus flowers fall;

23Seven-character quatrain

送元二使安西

Seeing Yuan Er Off to Anxi

Wang Wei 王维

渭城朝雨浥轻尘·客舍青青柳色新

Morning rain at Weicheng dampens the light dust;

24Seven-character quatrain

九月九日忆山东兄弟

Thinking of My Brothers on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month

Wang Wei 王维

独在异乡为异客·每逢佳节倍思亲

Alone in a strange land, a stranger,

25Five-character quatrain

杂诗

Miscellaneous Poem

Wang Wei 王维

君自故乡来·应知故乡事

You come from my home town;

26Five-character regulated verse

使至塞上

On Mission to the Frontier

Wang Wei 王维

单车欲问边·属国过居延

A single carriage, I go to inspect the frontier;

27Five-character quatrain

春晓

Spring Dawn

Meng Haoran 孟浩然

春眠不觉晓·处处闻啼鸟

Spring sleep: I do not notice the dawn;

28Five-character quatrain

宿建德江

Mooring on the Jiande River

Meng Haoran 孟浩然

移舟泊烟渚·日暮客愁新

I move the boat and moor at a misty islet;

29Five-character regulated verse

过故人庄

Visiting an Old Friend's Farm

Meng Haoran 孟浩然

故人具鸡黍·邀我至田家

My old friend has prepared chicken and millet

30Five-character regulated verse

赋得古原草送别

Grass on the Ancient Plain: A Farewell

Bai Juyi 白居易

离离原上草·一岁一枯荣

Lush, lush, the grass on the plain —

31Seven-character quatrain

暮江吟

Song of the Evening River

Bai Juyi 白居易

一道残阳铺水中·半江瑟瑟半江红

A band of setting sun spreads out on the water —

32Seven-character quatrain

大林寺桃花

Peach Blossoms at Great Grove Temple

Bai Juyi 白居易

人间四月芳菲尽·山寺桃花始盛开

Down in the world, April's flowers are finished;

33Seven-character quatrain

回乡偶书

Written at Random on Returning Home

He Zhizhang 贺知章

少小离家老大回·乡音无改鬓毛衰

I left home young and come back old;

34Seven-character quatrain

咏柳

On the Willow

He Zhizhang 贺知章

碧玉妆成一树高·万条垂下绿丝绦

A tall tree dressed in green jade;

35Seven-character quatrain

夜雨寄北

Written in Night Rain for the North

Li Shangyin 李商隐

君问归期未有期·巴山夜雨涨秋池

You ask when I will come; I have no date.

36Seven-character regulated verse

无题

Untitled

Li Shangyin 李商隐

相见时难别亦难·东风无力百花残

To meet is hard; to part is hard too.

37Five-character quatrain

乐游原

The Pleasure Garden Plateau

Li Shangyin 李商隐

向晚意不适·驱车登古原

Toward evening I felt out of sorts;

38Seven-character regulated verse

锦瑟

The Brocade Zither

Li Shangyin 李商隐

锦瑟无端五十弦·一弦一柱思华年

The brocade zither, for no reason, has fifty strings;

39Seven-character quatrain

山行

Walking in the Mountains

Du Mu 杜牧

远上寒山石径斜·白云生处有人家

Up the cold mountain the stone path slants;

40Seven-character quatrain

清明

Qingming

Du Mu 杜牧

清明时节雨纷纷·路上行人欲断魂

In the season of Qingming the rain falls and falls;

41Seven-character quatrain

泊秦淮

Mooring on the Qinhuai

Du Mu 杜牧

烟笼寒水月笼沙·夜泊秦淮近酒家

Mist wraps the cold water, the moon wraps the sand;

42Seven-character quatrain

江南春

Spring in the South

Du Mu 杜牧

千里莺啼绿映红·水村山郭酒旗风

A thousand li of orioles, green set against red;

43Seven-character quatrain

秋夕

Autumn Evening

Du Mu 杜牧

银烛秋光冷画屏·轻罗小扇扑流萤

A silver candle, autumn light, a cold painted screen;

44Seven-character quatrain

出塞

Beyond the Frontier

Wang Changling 王昌龄

秦时明月汉时关·万里长征人未还

The moon of Qin, the passes of Han;

45Seven-character quatrain

芙蓉楼送辛渐

Seeing Xin Jian Off at Lotus Tower

Wang Changling 王昌龄

寒雨连江夜入吴·平明送客楚山孤

Cold rain joins the river; at night it enters Wu.

46Seven-character quatrain

闺怨

A Wife's Complaint

Wang Changling 王昌龄

闺中少妇不知愁·春日凝妆上翠楼

A young wife in her room, knowing nothing of sorrow,

47Five-character quatrain

登鹳雀楼

Climbing Stork Tower

Wang Zhihuan 王之涣

白日依山尽·黄河入海流

The white sun sinks behind the mountains;

48Seven-character quatrain

凉州词

Song of Liangzhou

Wang Zhihuan 王之涣

黄河远上白云间·一片孤城万仞山

The Yellow River runs far up among the white clouds;

49Five-character quatrain

江雪

River Snow

Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元

千山鸟飞绝·万径人踪灭

A thousand mountains: birds have flown away.

50Five-character ancient verse

游子吟

Song of the Travelling Son

Meng Jiao 孟郊

慈母手中线·游子身上衣

The thread in a loving mother's hand

51Five-character quatrain

寻隐者不遇

Looking for a Hermit, and Not Finding Him

Jia Dao 贾岛

松下问童子·言师采药去

Under the pines I ask the boy;

52Seven-character quatrain

枫桥夜泊

Mooring at Maple Bridge at Night

Zhang Ji 张继

月落乌啼霜满天·江枫渔火对愁眠

The moon sets, crows call, frost fills the sky;

53Five-character quatrain

悯农

Pity the Farmer

Li Shen 李绅

锄禾日当午·汗滴禾下土

Hoeing grain with the sun at noon;

54Ancient verse

登幽州台歌

Song of Climbing Youzhou Terrace

Chen Zi'ang 陈子昂

前不见古人·后不见来者

Before me, I do not see the ancients;

55Five-character regulated verse

送杜少府之任蜀州

Seeing Magistrate Du Off to Shuzhou

Wang Bo 王勃

城阙辅三秦·风烟望五津

The city walls are guarded by the Three Qin;

56Seven-character regulated verse

黄鹤楼

Yellow Crane Tower

Cui Hao 崔颢

昔人已乘黄鹤去·此地空余黄鹤楼

The man of old has ridden the yellow crane away;

57Seven-character quatrain

别董大

Farewell to Dong the Elder

Gao Shi 高适

千里黄云白日曛·北风吹雁雪纷纷

A thousand li of yellow cloud; the white sun is dim.

58Seven-character quatrain

滁州西涧

West Ravine at Chuzhou

Wei Yingwu 韦应物

独怜幽草涧边生·上有黄鹂深树鸣

I love, most of all, the hidden grass growing by the ravine,

59Seven-character quatrain

题都城南庄

Written at a South Village of the Capital

Cui Hu 崔护

去年今日此门中·人面桃花相映红

Last year on this day, inside this gate,

60Seven-character quatrain

离思

Thoughts on Separation

Yuan Zhen 元稹

曾经沧海难为水·除却巫山不是云

Having once seen the ocean, other waters are hard to call water;

61Seven-character quatrain

乌衣巷

Black Robe Lane

Liu Yuxi 刘禹锡

朱雀桥边野草花·乌衣巷口夕阳斜

By Red Sparrow Bridge, wild grass and flowers;

62Seven-character quatrain

秋词

Song of Autumn

Liu Yuxi 刘禹锡

自古逢秋悲寂寥·我言秋日胜春朝

Since ancient times, autumn has meant grief and emptiness;

63Seven-character quatrain

竹枝词

Bamboo Branch Song

Liu Yuxi 刘禹锡

杨柳青青江水平·闻郎江上唱歌声

The willows are green, the river is level;