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lnhammerNew house in a gap of Eldest-Town wall;
Old trees remain, all dying willows.
People to come—what will they have?
Empty sorrow for those of the past.
Hut’s built beneath an ancient town—
Time stepped upon the ancient town.
Wasn’t the ancient town once farmland?
Of course new people come and go.
孟城坳
新家孟城口，
古木余衰柳。
来者复为谁，
空悲昔人有。
结庐古城下，
时登古城上。
古城非畴昔，
今人自来往。
The Wangchuan Collection (辋川集) was a collaboration by friends Wang Wei and Pei Di. They are a series of paired poems titled after locations on Wang’s estate, Wangchuan (“wheel-rim river”), in the mountains south of the capital Chang’an. The collection itself and paintings based on the twenty scenes (Wang was at least as well known as a painter as poet) were deeply influential through later centuries. I haven’t been able to find a complete translation—just of Wang’s half, by multiple hands—so I’m doing it myself. In each case, Wang’s poem is first, followed by Pei’s response.
I’m amused at how Pei plays with literal meaning “eldest” of the place-name (孟: mèng) by altering it to “ancient.” That and his down-to-earth response.
---L.
Old trees remain, all dying willows.
People to come—what will they have?
Empty sorrow for those of the past.
Hut’s built beneath an ancient town—
Time stepped upon the ancient town.
Wasn’t the ancient town once farmland?
Of course new people come and go.
孟城坳
新家孟城口，
古木余衰柳。
来者复为谁，
空悲昔人有。
结庐古城下，
时登古城上。
古城非畴昔，
今人自来往。
The Wangchuan Collection (辋川集) was a collaboration by friends Wang Wei and Pei Di. They are a series of paired poems titled after locations on Wang’s estate, Wangchuan (“wheel-rim river”), in the mountains south of the capital Chang’an. The collection itself and paintings based on the twenty scenes (Wang was at least as well known as a painter as poet) were deeply influential through later centuries. I haven’t been able to find a complete translation—just of Wang’s half, by multiple hands—so I’m doing it myself. In each case, Wang’s poem is first, followed by Pei’s response.
I’m amused at how Pei plays with literal meaning “eldest” of the place-name (孟: mèng) by altering it to “ancient.” That and his down-to-earth response.
---L.