The great river eastward flows;
With its waves are gone all those
Gallant heroes of bygone years.
West of the ancient fortress appears
Red Cliff where General Zhou won his early fame
When the Three Kingdoms were in flame.
Rocks tower in the air and waves beat on the shore.
Rolling up a thousand heaps of snow.
To match the land so fair, how many heroes of yore
Had made great show!
Prelude to Water Melody Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
On the mid-autumn festival, I drank happily till dawn and wrote this in my cups while thinking of Ziyou.
When did the bright moon first appear?
Wine-cup in hand, I ask the blue sky.
I do not know what time of year
It would be tonight in the palace on high.
Riding the wind, there I would fly,
But Im afraid the crystalline palace would be
Too high and too cold for me.
I rise and dance, with my shadow I play.
On high as on earth, would it be as gay?
饮湖上初晴后雨
水光潋滟晴方好,
山色空濛雨亦奇。
欲把西湖比西子:
淡妆浓抹总相宜。
Drinking at the Lake First in Sunny and then in Rainy Weather
The brimming waves delight the eye on sunny days;
The dimming hills give a rare view in rainy haze.
The West Lake looks like the fair lady at her best;
Whether she is richly adorned or plainly dressed.