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Lán Xī Zhào GēLanxi Boat Song 兰溪棹歌

Dai Shulun (戴叔伦, also known as )｜Mid Tang｜seven-character quatrain

Dai Shulun on Lanxi after spring rain; carp swim up to the shallows at night.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

凉月如眉挂柳湾
liáng yuè rú méi guà liǔ wān

越中山色镜中看
yuè zhōng shān sè jìng zhōng kàn

兰溪三日桃花雨
lán xī sān rì táo huā yǔ

半夜鲤鱼来上滩
bàn yè lǐ yú lái shàng tān

Simplified characters; traditional title: 蘭谿棹歌.

A cool moon like an eyebrow hangs over the willow bay;

the hills of Yue are seen as in a mirror.

After three days of peach-blossom rain on Lanxi,

at midnight the carp come up onto the shoals.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

凉月如眉挂柳湾 · liáng yuè rú méi guà liǔ wān — A cool moon like an eyebrow hangs over the willow bay;

越中山色镜中看 · yuè zhōng shān sè jìng zhōng kàn — the hills of Yue are seen as in a mirror.

兰溪三日桃花雨 · lán xī sān rì táo huā yǔ — After three days of peach-blossom rain on Lanxi,

半夜鲤鱼来上滩 · bàn yè lǐ yú lái shàng tān — at midnight the carp come up onto the shoals.

Dai Shulun on Lanxi after spring rain; carp swim up to the shallows at night. The scene stays with you.

Dai Shulun on Lanxi after spring rain; carp swim up to the shallows at night.

Dai Shulun wrote fresh river scenes including the Lanxi boat song.

Lifetime: 732–789. Other famous works: Lanxi Boat Song (兰溪棹歌).