约客(赵师秀)
Title: Plans for a Guest
▪ 约客
Author: Zhao ShiXiu ▪ 赵师秀
Poetic Form: júejù ▪ 绝句Apologies, individual character links no longer available for this poem...1. ((黄 + 梅) + (时 + 节)) + ((家 + 家) + 雨)
((yellow + plum) + (time + festival)) + ((house +
house) + rain)
gloss: During the festival of the yellow plum (the
rainy season), the house is soaked in rain
2. (青 + 草) + (池 + 塘) + (处 + 处) + 蛙
(green + grass) + (pool + pond) + (to dwell + to
dwell) + frog
gloss: In the green grass by the pond, frogs are
everywhere
3. (有 + 约) + (不 + 来) + (过 + (夜 + 半))
(to have + pact) + (not + to come) + (to exceed +
((evening + half))
gloss: We agreed; my friend does not come
until the night is half done (after midnight)
4. (闲 + (敲 + (棋 + 子))) + (落 + (灯 + 花))
(idle + (to knock + (chess + seed))) + (to decline
+ (lamp + blossom))
gloss: I idly knock around chess pieces by
lamplight
Translation
Plans for a Guest
translation by Jessica Alexander ©
At the yellow plum festival, each and every house is
drenched in rain;
Verdant grass beside the pond echoes and reechoes with
the chant of frogs.
We agreed; but my friend does not come until the night is
half done.
I idly knock around chessmen by scattered lamplight.
Analysis
In this poem, Zhao ShiXiu describes a single moment. He sets the scene in lines 1 and 2 with the sounds outside his home: rain and the croaking of frogs. This allows the reader to recognize the setting as spring evening. But, then, in line 3, he tells us that it is not, in fact, early evening as we might have expected; it is past midnight and he is waiting up for a friend. We sense a contrast in the supposed quiet of night with the plethora of sounds going on outside, which are emphasized by the reduplication of 家 and 处. Finally, in line 4, the poet shows himself. He adds to the scene another sound (the clinking of chess pieces) and the only light in the scene (the lamp by which he is playing with the chess piece).
Interestingly, the poet does not seem disturbed by his friend's tardiness.
Lines 2 and 4 rhyme.
Other Translations
Unable to find any current translations. Please contact me if you know of one!