文／元．白樸(1226-1306)

行遍江南，算只有、青山留客。

親友間、中年哀樂，幾回離別。

棋罷不知人換世，兵餘猶見川留血。

嘆昔時、歌舞岳陽樓，繁華歇。

寒日短，愁雲結。幽故壘，空殘月。

聽閭閻談笑，果誰雄傑。

欹枕才移孤館雨，扁舟又泛長江雪。

要煙花、三月到揚州，逢人說。

──選自《天籟集》

The River is Red

Bai Pu (1226-1306,Yuan Dynasty)

English translation: William Chong

Travelling throughout Jiangnan, yet only

the lush mountain kept me from going my way.

Amongst relatives and friends,

the funeral march played in their prime

Many a goodbye I said.

Times changed before I ended a game of chess

Rivers bloodstained at the end of every battle.

I can only lament the past,

when Yueyang Pavilion

was full of songs and dance,

the end of all that bustling prosperity.

Days are short in winter, clouds gather in despair.

Old fortresses stand desolate,

what remains of the moon hangs

solitarily in the sky.

Listen to that joyful banter

amongst the commoners,

discussing who are the heroes of the day.

Rain fell as I woke from

my light sleep to change my posture,

Snow came as my boat floated

across the Yangtze River.

For life's pleasure,

head to Yangzhou in March, I say.

— From Tianlai Ji

(Collection on Heavenly Voices)