「食后」白居易
Shí hòu’ Bái Jūyì
“After a Meal” by Bai Juyi.
After a meal
.
After a meal
I nap
then take two cups of tea
when I wake
Up in the sky
the low lying sun
is already slipping southwest
.
we who are happy
cherish each day
as it passes
it’s the sad
who hate the long years
and those
without joy
or sorrow
discover
too late
the length of their life
is decided by fate
— Bai Juyi
Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Bai Juyi
Yesterday was Thanksgiving, an American holiday celebrated the last Thursday of November. It is a time for families to gather with friends, to feast with turkey and all sorts of side.
To eat, watch television, then nap.
Some say the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié) cleg\brated on the fifteenth day of the eighth solar month is most like Thanksgiving. My vote is for the Double Ninth Festival (重陽節 Chóngyáng jié) celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The difference being Chinese families celebrating this holiday climb mountains and drink chrysanthemum tea.
Bai Juyi (772–846), was a popular Chinese poet and imperial official of the Tang Dynasty following the An Lushan Rebellion. His career was marked by ups and downs, and exile. After his exile, he served as governor of several important Chinese prefectures (zhou). He embodied the ideal Confucian administrator.
Chinese translation with pinyin
| After a meal, I nap, and take two cups of tea when I wake . | 食罢一觉睡， 起来两瓯茶。 | Shí bà yī jué shuì, qǐlái liǎng ōu chá. |
| I looked up at the low lying sun, already slipping to the southwest | 举头看日影， 已复西南斜。 | Jǔ tóu kàn rì yǐng, yǐ fù xīnán xié. |
| For those who are happy the passing days will be cherished, The sad hate the long years.” | 乐人惜日促， 忧人厌年赊。 | Lè rén xī rì cù, yōu rén yàn nián shē. |
| For those without joy or sorrow, The length of their life is left up to fate. | 无忧无乐者，长短任生涯。 | Wú yōu wú lè zhě, chángduǎn rèn shēngyá. |
French translation
Après un repas
.
Après un repas
Je fais ma sieste
puis je prends deux tasses de thé
quand je me réveille
le ciel le soleil c’est bas
se couche déjà vers le sud-ouest
.
chaque jour qui passe
nous qui sommes heureux
chérissons
ce sont les tristes
qui détestent
les longues années
et ceux
sans joie ni chagrin
trouvent la durée de leur vie
décidé par le destin
— Bai Juyi