Pervigilium Veris
After Zhang Ruoxu in remembrance of a dear friend and colleague.
...littera venit,
vix bene barbarica Graeca notata manu.
(Ov. Her. 3. 1-2)
Aequa mari statuit vernalis in amnibus unda,
Luna simul nitido nascitur amne super.
Undarum sequitur Latonia milia multa,
Lucida non aliquo amne carenda micans.
Erranti fragrans praecingitur insula ab lympha,
Myrtea sub luna silva nivosa nitet.
Flamina per volitans non sensa est alba pruina,
Nec se spectari candida harena sinit.
Inter aquas caelumque albescenti similem amni
Lustrabat praestans lumine sola dea.
Nunc posco, hac ripa, quo primo visa sit luna,
Fulserit aut quando prima hominique et aquae.
Per tantos aevos hominum gens, A, remanebat,
Talibus inque annis Diva perennis erat.
Nescia quem exspectent Phoebeque undaeque manentes
Perpetuo specto flumine abire mare.
Claro cum nubis vanescat in aethere solus
A curis vincor litore propter acer.
Intendam tibi ubi, thalamo astris argentato?
Quemque phaselon apud nunc requiete jaces?
Luna serena vagat circum aedes turre superbas,
Heu! cui lucenda strata relicta patent.
Lux cujus quamquam velante occlusa smaragdo
Iam lautas tabulas mulcet et haeret loco.
Quam lucem spectans non exaudis mihi questus:
Mutata in radios nunc volo tute sequi.
Has noctes nil attenuat, non fluminis ales
Carmine discedens, nec mare pisce tremens.
Stagnorum in somnis flores vidi cecidisse
Sed semper sine te, sponse remote miser!
Tempora cum fluctu veris fugiunt moriendo,
Inclinatque ad lacum Cynthia marmoreum
Inter et umentes declivis labitur aestus.
Lydos ad montes est via longa Pharo!
Sint quot reventuri serae cum lumine? quaero
Dum riparum implet luna dolore nemus.
春江花月夜
作者：張若虛
春江潮水連海平，海上明月共潮生。
灩灩隨波千萬里，何處春江無月明？
江流宛轉遶芳甸，月照花林皆似霰。
空裏流霜不覺飛，汀上白沙看不見。
江天一色無纖塵，皎皎空中孤月輪。
江畔何人初見月，江月何年初照人？
人生代代無窮已，江月年年祇相似。
不知江月待何人？但見長江送流水。
白雲一片去悠悠，青楓浦上不勝愁。
誰家今夜扁舟子，何處相思明月樓？
可憐樓上月徘徊，應照離人妝鏡臺。
玉戶簾中卷不去，擣衣砧上拂還來。
此時相望不相聞，願逐月華流照君。
鴻雁長飛光不度，魚龍潛躍水成文。
昨夜閒潭夢落花，可非春半不還家。
江水流春去欲盡，江潭落月復西斜。
斜月沉沉藏海霧，碣石瀟湘無限路。
不知乘月幾人歸，落月搖情滿江樹。
Spring, River, Flowers, Moon, Night
English translation by David Lattimore
Spring river tidal water running level with the sea
on the sea the bright moon rising with the tide
rolling tossing down its waves a million miles
where spring river do you lack for moonlight
The river flows twists turns around the scented park lands
moonlight sleeting everywhere on blooming groves
through the void flowing frost flies unseen
white sand of the islets indistinguishable.
River sky one color without a spot of dust
glittering amid the void the bright moon’s wheel
on these banks what people first saw the
moon river moon in what year did you first shine on men.
Life of man age on age unexhausted
river moon year by year looking at each other
who knows what person the moon in the river waits for
all you see the long stream ushering its waters.
White cloud a single swath bound far away
maples green upon the bank unquenched sorrow
Tonight where is the household of the man in the little boat
What place does she think of in the moonlit lodge
Piteously above the lodge the moon wavers wanders
shining back on the lonely one the make-up mirror-stand
blinds of the jade door she twists but does not go
wash-pounding on the stone though brushed away returns
This is the hour to gaze afar hearing nothing
wishing to follow the moon-glow to flow—to shine on you
wild geese far flying cannot go beyond the light
fish dragons churning the depths ripple the surface
Last night by the idle pool she dreamt of falling flowers
she grieves for him at mid-spring who does not come home
river waters wash away what’s left of spring
river pool the falling moon slanting westward
Slant moon deep deep in sea-mist hidden
from Jieshi to Xiaoxiang a boundless road
who knows what people come home by moonlight
the moonset shakes our feelings as it fills the river trees.