客至 ké zhì 25
translations
舍南舍北皆春水 shè nán shè běi jiē chūn shuǐ, shuǐ d L d e L L r
但見群鷗日日來 dàn jiàn qún
ōu rì rì lái. ləi d d L L e e L
花徑不曾緣客掃 huā jìng bù céng yuán kè sǎo, sɑ̀u L d e L L e d
蓬門今始為君開 péng mén jīn shǐ wèi jūn kāi. kəi L L L r d L L
盤飧市遠無兼味 pán sūn shì yuǎn wú jiān wèi, miə̀i L L r r L L d
樽酒家貧只舊醅 zūn jiǔ jiā pín zhǐ jiù pēi. pəi L r L L r d L
肯與鄰翁相對飲 kěn yǔ lín wēng xiāng duì yǐn, qyǐm r r
L L L d r
隔籬呼取盡餘杯 gé lí hū qǔ jìn yú bēi. bəi e L L r r L L
Rhyme ABCBBBDB
Hawkes, David A Little Primer of Tu Fu (Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1967) (literal)
The
Guest
house-south
house-north both springtime water
only
see flock-gulls every-day come
flower-path
not-have because-of guest swept
wicker-gate
now first-time for you open
dish-repast
market far no double flavour
jar-wine
household poor only old brewing
willing
with neighbour-gaffer opposite drink
intervening
fence call-take finish remaining cups
Yip,
Wai-lim, ed. Chinese Poetry: Major
Modes and Genres (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) (literal)
A Guest
house south house north all spring water
but see flock gull/s day day come
flower path not once due-to guest sweep
thatch door now then for you open
dish food market far no include taste/s
bottle wine home poor only old home-brew
willing with neighbour old-man mutual face drink
across fence call get finish remaining cup
anonymous (www.chinese-poems.com) (literal)
Receiving
a Guest
Hut south hut north all
spring water
Only see flock gulls day
day come
Flower path not once reason
visitor sweep
Rough gate today start for
gentleman open
Dish supper market far not
double taste
Cup wine home poor only old
coarse wine
Consent with neighbour old
man opposite drink
Partition fence shout get
exhaust remaining cup
Ayscough,
A Guest
Arrives
South of cottage, North of cottage, everywhere, Spring water;
Only see flock of gulls which daily, daily, come.
Flower-edged path has not been swept in readiness for guests.
Over-grown door is now first opened because of my Lord.
Market far away, therefore no blended flavours on platter of evening meal;
Household poverty-stricken; in flagon for wine only old, unstrained-spirits.
Are you willing to drink together with neighbouring grey-beard?
Will part fence, call, seize him to come, to exhaust remains of the ‘cup’.
“bafooz” (bafooz.livejournal.com/365443.html)
A Guest Arrives
To the south of my house, to the north of my house - all around flows spring water.
Day after day, I see only flocks of gulls who come.
Having no guests, I have not once cut down the flowers by the path.
Today, for the first time, I open the bamboo gate for you.
Living so far from the market, the dishes of food have little taste;
My home is poor, so I can only offer stale and coarse wine.
If you're willing, I'll ask the old man next door to drink with us:
I'll call across the fence and we'll finish the last of the wine.
Brownrigg, Ray (www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~ray/ChineseEssays)
An Unexpected Guest (I)
All around my house do the
spring waters flow;
Nothing do I see but a
flock of gulls daily.
My blossomed path has ne’er
for guests needed sweeping;
My wicker gate opens for
you the first time only.
Our food that’s far from
market offers very little flavour;
The wine in this poor
household is quite old really.
But if you’d like to sit
down and drink some with my neighbour,
I’ll call him through the
fence and we can finish it completely.
Brownrigg, Ray (www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~ray/ChineseEssays)
An
Unexpected Guest (II)
All around my house do the spring waters flow;
Nothing do I see but a flock of gulls
daily.
Blossomed path has yet for guests needed sweeping;
Wicker gate opens for you - first time only.
Far from market food offers little flavour;
This poor household wine is quite old and cloudy.
If you’d like to sit and drink with my
neighbour,
I’ll call through the fence
- we’ll down it completely.
Bynner,
Witter The
A Hearty Welcome to Vice-prefect Cui
North of
me, south of me, spring is in flood,
Day after
day I have seen only gulls....
My path is
full of petals - I have swept it for no others.
My thatch
gate has been closed - but opens now for you.
It's a long
way to the market, I can offer you little -
Yet here in
my cottage there is old wine for our cups.
Shall we
summon my elderly neighbour to join us,
Call him
through the fence, and pour the jar dry?
Cooper, Arthur R. V. Li Po and Tu
Fu (Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1973)
The Visitor
North and
South of our hut spread the Spring waters,
And only
flocks of gulls daily visit us;
For guests
our path is yet unswept of petals,
To you our
wattle gate the first time opens:
Dishes so
far from town lack subtle flavours,
And wine is
but the rough a poor home offers;
If you
agree, I’ll call my ancient neighbour
Across the
fence to come help us finish it!
“Dongbo” (www.mountainsongs.net/poem_.php?id=388&istext=1)
A Guest Comes
North of my cottage south of my cottage everywhere spring waters,
But for visitors only gulls daily come.
I didn't sweep the flower path not expecting guests,
The gate is open now do come in!
The meal far from the market a simple thing,
Grab a wine cup a poor household only old home brew
If you agree I'll invite the old codger next door to join us for a drink,
Across the fence we'll hoot and holler and drain our cups!
Fletcher, W. J. B. More
Gems of Chinese Poetry (Shanghai:
Commercial Press Ltd., 1919)
A Guest
Comes
To north
and south my cottage have vernal waters crept,
Where
nothing daily see I but the wheeling gulls at play.
And never
yet for any guest this flower-hid path was swept.
To you the
first my bower’s door was opened wide today.
But far
away the market lies, and frugal is our fare.
Such only
wine we offer you as peasant folk prepare.
With our
old next-door neighbour to drink if you don’t mind,
Across the
fence I’ll call to him his other cup to find.
Hart, Henry H. The
Charcoal Burner, and Other Poems; Original Translations from the Poetry of the
Chinese (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1974)
A Guest
Arrives
It is
spring.
The stream
flows north and south
Before my
hut.
Only flocks
of gulls call each day
To see me.
I have not
swept the fruit blossoms
From the
path for any visitor,
And my
wicker gate opens today
For the
first time for you.
The market
is far away,
So I have
no great variety of food
To offer
you.
My home is
poor,
So my jar
of wine is of an old brew.
If you wish
my neighbour to sit with us,
I shall
call to him over the fence
And invite
him
To share
the cupfuls that remain.
Hawkes, David A Little Primer of Tu Fu (Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1967)
The
Guest
The
waters of springtime flow north and south of my dwelling. Only the flocks of
gulls come daily to call on me. I have not swept my flower-strewn path for a
visitor, and my wicker-gate opens the first time today for you. Because the
market is far away, the dishes I serve you offer little variety; and because
this is a poor household, the only wine in my jars comes from an old brewing.
If you are willing to sit and drink with my old neighbour, I shall call to him
over the fence to come and finish off the remaining cupfuls with us.
Hung, William Tu Fu: China’s Greatest Poet (New York: Harvard University Press, 1952)
Magistrate
Cui Comes
Spring rain gathers in pools north and south of my
hut.
Flocks of gulls are our only every-day callers.
The paths strewn with fallen petals have not been
swept to welcome visitors;
The rustic gate is for the first time opened this year
for you.
The market is far; we cannot offer more than this
plate of food.
We are poor; we have only this pot of old home-brew.
Would you like to drink with a good old neighbour of
mine?
I’ll shout over the fence for him; he will help us
finish the wine.
Kline, A. S. (www.tonykline.co.uk/PITBR/Chinese/AllwaterTuFu.htm)
A Visitor
Southwards, northwards, the Spring waters.
Only flocks of gulls fly in each day.
The flowered path’s not yet swept for guests.
The willow gate has opened first for you.
It’s simple food we’re so far from the City.
In this poor house there’s only stale rice-wine.
If you’re willing, I can call across the hedge.
Drink it with an Old Neighbour of mine.
Kotewall, Robert & Normal L. Smith in Davis, A. R., ed. The Penguin Book of Chinese Verse (Harmondsworth: Penguin
Books, 1962)
A Visitor
has Come
South of
the house, north of the house, everywhere the water of Spring;
I can only
see flocks of gulls that arrive day after day.
The flowery
path has not yet been swept for a guest,
The wicker
gate is only today opened for you.
For supper
I am too far from market to add a dish;
For the
bottle in a poor house there is only stale wine.
If you are
willing to drink with an old neighbour of mine,
I will call
over the hedge to finish off the wine with him.
Liu, Shih
Shun One hundred and One Chinese Poems
(Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1967)
A Guest
Arrives
Everywhere
spring water is flowing north and south,
Flocks of
gulls arriving daily.
The garden
paths have not been swept for guests.
For you
alone the thatched door is open now.
Shopping
has been perforce at distant markets,
And all
delicacies can not be purchased.
Since I am
poor, all I can provide
Is the wine
in the old jar.
If you are
willing to drink with my neighbour,
I shall ask
him to come over the fence and join us.
Mair,
Victor H., ed. The
A Guest
Arrives
North and
South of my cottage, spring waters everywhere –
All I can
see are a flock of terns that come day after day;
The flowery
path has not been swept for any guests,
Only today
do I finally open my gate for you.
The market
is far, so our supper platter lacks variety,
Our family
is poor, so the wine flask holds but old home-brew;
If you’re
willing to sing with the gaffer next door,
I’ll call
across the fence for him to finish the last cup.
Murphy, James R. (http://www.torusflex.com/poetry%20project1/poetry.html)
Arrival of
a guest
south of
the hut, north of the hut, all spring waters
flocks of feeding
gulls have been our only callers
the path is
not swept of flowers to welcome guests
the hedge
gate for the first time is opened for you
the market
is far so i can offer only rice, no tasty treats
and the
only wine around is my unsettled home brew
but if you
like we can make a party with my old neighbor
i’ll shout
over the fence and we can all drink together
Owen,
Stephen The Great Age of Chinese Poetry:
The High T’ang (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981)
A Guest Comes
North of my cottage, south of my cottage, spring
waters everywhere,
And all that I see are the flocks of gulls coming here
day after day,
My path through the flowers has never yet been swept
for a visitor,
But today this wicker gate of mine stands open just
for you.
The market is far, so for dinner there’ll be no wide
range of tastes,
Our home is poor, and for wine we have only an older
vintage.
Are you willing to sit here and drink with the old man
who lives next door?
I’ll call to him over the hedge, and we’ll finish the
last of the cups.
Purves, David
(www.electricscotland.com/poetry/purves/GBDOM.pdf)
A Visitor
North and South of our shack / lie the Spring water
and nothing but the gulls / Come to visit us.
For visitors the path here / is not swept from petals.
To you our old gate / Will open the first time.
Our country fare here / wants fancy flavors
and the wyne the rough kind / a humble home offers
If you like, I’ll invite / my old neighbor over
the fence to come and help / us drink it.
Watson,
A Guest Arrives
North of my lodge, south of my lodge, everywhere spring rivers;
day by day all I see are flocks of gulls converging.
Flower paths never before swept for a guest,
my thatch gate, opening for you, opens for the first time.
For food—the market's far—no wealth of flavors;
for wine—my house is poor—only old muddy brew. 1
If you don't mind drinking with the old man next door,
I'll call across the hedge, and we'll finish off what's left.
Yip,
Wai-lim, ed. Chinese Poetry: Major
Modes and Genres (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976)
A Guest
South of
house, north of house, all spring water.
Day in, day
out, flights of gulls come.
Petal-strewn
path never once swept to welcome guests.
The
thatched gate, for the first time, is open for you.
Far from
market, dishes have to be few.
Now poor,
for wine, nothing but old home-brew.
Willing to
toast to the old man next door?
Across the
fence, let’s call him to help finish the cups.
anonymous
(www.chinese-poems.com)
Receiving
a Guest
To north and south of my hut, all is spring water,
A flock of gulls is all I see come each day.
The floral path has never been swept for a guest,
Today for the first time the rough gate opens for the
gentleman.
Far from the market, my food has little taste,
My poor home can offer only stale and cloudy wine.
Consent to have a drink with my elderly neighbour,
At the fence I'll call him, then we'll finish it off.
unknown (www2.njnu.edu.cn/tangshi/group3.htm)
To a Guest
North and
south of my cottage winds spring water green,
I see no
guests but gulls coming from day to day.
The
foot-path strewn with fallen flowers not swept clean,
My wicket
door is opened but for you today.
Far from
market, I can afford but simple dish;
Being not
rich, we have only home-brewed old wine.
To drink
face to face with my neighbor if you wish,
I'll call
him o'er the fence and together we'll dine.