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Charm of the Niannu Singer: Wild Pear Blossoms Fall
English Poetic Translation
Wild petals fall as hurried weeks depart,
And Qingming season slips beyond recall.
An unkind wind disturbs the traveler's heart;
Through the cold night cloud-screens appall.
Beside the curving shore we raised the cup;
The willows tethered steeds where we bade brief farewell.
Now empty towers rise, and birds look up,
Where flying swallows ancient stories tell.
Down eastern lanes where broidered curtains gleam,
Wayfarers catch a glimpse of slender moon.
Old sorrows flow like rivers in a dream,
New griefs pile mountain high beneath the noon.
Tomorrow dawn, when cups are raised anew,
We'll face the mirror where old blossoms fade;
And startled, ask each other what we knew,
As silver threads invade the gentle shade.
And Qingming season slips beyond recall.
An unkind wind disturbs the traveler's heart;
Through the cold night cloud-screens appall.
Beside the curving shore we raised the cup;
The willows tethered steeds where we bade brief farewell.
Now empty towers rise, and birds look up,
Where flying swallows ancient stories tell.
Down eastern lanes where broidered curtains gleam,
Wayfarers catch a glimpse of slender moon.
Old sorrows flow like rivers in a dream,
New griefs pile mountain high beneath the noon.
Tomorrow dawn, when cups are raised anew,
We'll face the mirror where old blossoms fade;
And startled, ask each other what we knew,
As silver threads invade the gentle shade.
Classical Chinese & Pinyin
野棠花落，又匆匆、過了青明時節。
地東風欺客夢，一夜雲屏寒怯。
曲岸持觴，垂楊繫馬，此地曾輕別。
樓空人去，舊遊飛燕能說。
聞道綺陌東頭，行人長見，簾底纖纖月。
舊恨春江流未斷，新恨雲山千疊。
料得明朝，尊前重見，鏡裏花難折。
也應驚問，近來多少華髮。
地東風欺客夢，一夜雲屏寒怯。
曲岸持觴，垂楊繫馬，此地曾輕別。
樓空人去，舊遊飛燕能說。
聞道綺陌東頭，行人長見，簾底纖纖月。
舊恨春江流未斷，新恨雲山千疊。
料得明朝，尊前重見，鏡裏花難折。
也應驚問，近來多少華髮。
Philological Direct Translation
Wild crabapple flowers fall, once again in a hurry, past has gone the Qingming season.
Fierce eastern wind deceives the traveler's dream, one night screen of clouds cold and timid.
Curving shore holding goblet, drooping willows tethering horse, this place once lightly parted.
Tower empty people gone, former wanderings flying swallows can tell.
I heard say at the eastern end of embroidered alleys, travelers often see, below the curtain slender-slender moon.
Old sorrow spring river flows unceased, new sorrow cloud mountains thousand folds.
I reckon tomorrow dawn, before the wine goblet seeing again, in the mirror flowers hard to pluck.
Also should startled ask, recently how much gray hair.
Fierce eastern wind deceives the traveler's dream, one night screen of clouds cold and timid.
Curving shore holding goblet, drooping willows tethering horse, this place once lightly parted.
Tower empty people gone, former wanderings flying swallows can tell.
I heard say at the eastern end of embroidered alleys, travelers often see, below the curtain slender-slender moon.
Old sorrow spring river flows unceased, new sorrow cloud mountains thousand folds.
I reckon tomorrow dawn, before the wine goblet seeing again, in the mirror flowers hard to pluck.
Also should startled ask, recently how much gray hair.