Via River Wu By Boat Poem by East Sea Fairy Xing Yi

By JIANG JieTranslated by East Sea Fairy

Drifts about on River Wu the boat
by which I travel in a strange land with my heart full of woe.
As soon as I note
note the soliciting tavern sign flying in the spring breeze, oh,
I'm seized with a sudden impulse to drink away my sadness and sorrow.
However the boat just drifts on and passes by just two places of great scenery
where literati and poets were interested to go.
They are the sing-song-beauty Bridge and the sing-song-fair Ferry.
However the annoying wild wind and raging rain leave me in no mood to enjoy them simply.

When can I return home to make washed this gown?
When can this tedious wandering life finally come to an end?
When can I reunite with my family in my home town
to the silver-letter-inlayed reed pipe to bend
and to burn the heart-shaped incense coil in the incense burner to attend?
For spring time goes away so quickly
that no one can catch its trend.
Summer shows up before spring takes leave, and when the cherry has got ripe and ruddy,
the banana is green already.