Ezhou Southern Tower
鄂 州 南 楼
谁 将 玉 笛 弄 中 秋？
黄 鹤 归 来 识 旧 游。
汉 树 有 情 横 北 渚
蜀 江 无 语 抱 南 楼。
烛 天 灯 火 三 更 市
摇 月 旌 旗 万 里 舟。
却 笑 鲈 乡 垂 钓 手
武 昌 鱼 好 便 淹 留。
E Zhou Nan Lou
Shei jiang yu di long zhong qiu?
Huang he gui lai shi jiu you.
Han shu you wing heng bei zhu
Shu jiang wu yu bao nan lou.
Zhu tian deng huo san geng shi
Zhu yue jing qi wan li zhou.
Que xiao lu xiang chui diao shou
Wu chang yu hao bian yan liu.
Ezhou Southern Tower
Who has brought their jade flute to play during the mid-autumn days?
From the Yellow Crane Tower we reminisce about former travels.
Across the northern horizon, islets and emotions emerge like the Han trees
Southern Sichuan rivers flow without words.
Several changes of light from marketplace candles and lanterns
From another direction long-distance boats with moonlit banners.
Smile to myself, as hometown perch slip through fishermen hands
Stay here for now, this place full of good-eating fish to enjoy.
Notes:
Han trees: An allusion to one of the lines inside a Li Bai poem, “Yellow River Tower”. The line reads: “Now the trees of Hanyang are arrayed before the clear river.” It is a good example of a “I want to go home.” poem and feeling. Hanyang is a district inside the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province.