To the wild north we go
- Poetry of Su Shi

《行香子·北望平川》

English Rendering

To the wild north we go,

galloping on shallow ripples,

winding streams, ponds and pools,

for a feast of early spring views.

With wine came many  toasts.

Cheers of joy went over the moon.

Long sleeves dance in the breeze.

Subtle scent swirls the hair loops.

On flying geese the sunset softly glows.

Soon the crystal sky reclaims quietude.

Home we go, but one stays behind, alone,

Watching us cross a bridge for a light pool.

En. trans. by Julia Min

To the wild north we go by Su Shi
To the wild north we go by Su Shi

Original Text (中文原文)

(与泗守过南山晚归作)

北望平川。野水荒湾。

共寻春、飞步孱颜。

和风弄袖,香雾萦鬟。

正酒酣时,人语笑,白云间。

飞鸿落照,相将归去,淡娟娟、玉宇清闲。

何人无事,宴坐空山。

望长桥上,灯火乱,使君还。

Analysis & Context

This is a spontaneous piece of composition written right after a delightful trip on December 7, 1084, during the Shenzong era of the Song Dynasty. At that time, Su Shi and Liu Shiyan, the governor of Sizhou on Huainan East Road, visited Xuyi’s Mount South together and composed this poem upon their return in the twilight.

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.

The Masters' Directory

Journey through the dynasties. Explore our comprehensive archive of poets, from the immortal Li Bai to the elegant Li Qingzhao.

View All Poets →
© CN-Poetry.com Chinese Poems in English  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts.