North Cottage, Wang Wei & Pei Di (Wangchuan Collection #16)

[lnhammer]

North Cottage, north of the lake waters:
Varied trees shadow its red door.
Twisting, winding, the south river waters—
Brightness cut off by straight green woods.

    Below North Cottage at South Mountain,
    Joined walls that overlook Yi Lake:
    Though I want to gather firewood,
    In a small boat I leave the rushes.

北垞

北垞湖水北，
杂树暎朱阑。
逶迤南川水，
明灭青林端。

    南山北垞下，
    结宇临欹湖。
    每欲采樵去，
    扁舟出菰蒲。

Wang is again observing nature, without interacting with people. Lost in translation: the “red door” is technically “cinnabar/vermilion door-screen.” (I am, here, feeling the restriction of my chosen meter.) Pei’s walls are those of rooms, so house walls rather than the outer wall of a yard.

---L.