結廬在人境 Though I may dwell amongst the populous
throng,
而無車馬喧 By din of cart and horse I’m quite unvexed.
問君何能爾 How, you ask, do I maintain my calm?
心遠地自偏 “The wand’ring mind, no clamor may
molest.”
采菊東籬下 Unreal chrysanthemums bloom all about.
悠然見南山 In fancy, too, I spy Lu Mountain’s peak;
山氣日夕佳 Its mists are splendid, as the sun fades out.
飛鳥相與還 Then, with the flying birds, my mind
retreats.
此中有真意 For here is where the truest pleasure lies:
欲辨已忘言 Beyond my words, the world seen with
closed eyes.
Yellow Crane in the Rain 
I like the poem quite a lot… especially the first two lines of the second “stanza”…. amazing that this is so old and still is kept.
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Thank you. My style is rather plodding. Chinese people to whom I’ve shown it tend to think it’s too cerebral and not as emotive as a poem should be.
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I have not even managed to translate my own English poetry to my native language … 🙂 Translating is so very hard.
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Ancient chinese poetry (古诗/古文) is highly succinct in nature, and very specific symbolism to capture complex ideas. Translating such poems becomes exceptionally challenging, but I am very glad that you continue to do so. The translation may not capture the full emotive content of the poem, but I feel it will help many readers around the world appreciate the poem, even at a basic level.
Perhaps, you could include the context of the poem in your next translation! Looking forward to your subsequent posts too!
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