English Rendering
Look at all the boats coming for a token of fame,
and the ships sail away for silver and gold.
I can’t help feeling ashamed of my escape,
so we sneaked passed in midnight’s cold.
(translated by Julia Min)
The River Traffic by Yan’s Fishing Pavilion
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao
《钓台》
Original Text (中文原文)
巨舰只缘因利往，扁舟亦是为名来。
往来有愧先生德，特地通宵过钓台。
Analysis & Context
Yan’s Fishing Pavilion: Legend has it that this is the riverbank spot where Yan Zilin used to do fishing when he chose to live in seclusion rather than living for fame and money in a high official position offered by Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty ( Liu Xiu 5-57 AD). He is respected for his courage in pursuing the value in his heart rather than the social value of the chaotic world, the heroic integrity Li Qingzhao failed to see in the Southern Song’s Court officials.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
- From the balcony to the bare distance
- Extempore verse
- Writing to my Friends from my Hotel at Chang-le
- The River Traffic by Yan’s Fishing Pavilion
- No sooner the jade buds are turned to rosy lips
- In the snowy yard the Spring messenger arrived
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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