To the Tune of Yü-chia ao - Evening of the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month of the Year
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《渔家傲·七夕》

English Rendering

The magpies fill the Milky Way, the fairy waves are shallow.

The cloud-chariot is already by the Star Bridge.

With the fading end of the twilight glow

The street drum announces the hour.

The bright daylight shrinks.

To the west of the sky a golden crescent hangs tiltedly. 


Parted for a whole year, they now meet again.

Where do old woes and new joy end?

Treasure this joyful period in Heaven,

The good night is short.

On earth, the silver-marker of the water-clock should not be urging time on men!

To the Tune of Yü-chia ao - Evening of the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month of the Year by Ouyang Xiu
To the Tune of Yü-chia ao - Evening of the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month of the Year by Ouyang Xiu

Original Text (中文原文)

喜鹊填河仙浪浅,云軿早在星桥畔。

街鼓黄昏霞尾暗,炎光敛,金钩侧倒天西面。

一别经年今始见,新欢往恨知何限。

天上佳期贪眷恋,良宵短,人间不合催银箭。

Analysis & Context

By Ouyang Xiu

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.

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