dù hàn jiāng (by Li Pin)
|
| 渡 | dù | to cross; to pass through; to ferry |
| 漢 or 汉 | hàn | Chinese; name of a dynasty |
| 江 | jiāng | river |
| 嶺 or 岭 | lǐng | mountain range |
| 外 | wài | outside; in addition; foreign; external |
| 音 | yīn | sound; noise; news |
| 書 or 书 | shū | book; letter |
| 絕 or 绝 | jué | cut short; extinct; to disappear; to vanish; absolutely; by no means |
| 經 or 经 | jīng | classics; sacred book; pass through; to undergo; scripture |
| 冬 | dōng | winter |
| 復 or 复 | fù | again; recover; reply to a letter; to repeat; to duplicate |
| 立 | lì | set up; to stand |
| 春 | chūn | spring (time); gay; joyful; youthful; love; lust; life |
| 近 | jìn | near; close (to); approximately |
| 鄉 or 乡 | xiāng | country; village |
| 情 | qíng | feeling; emotion; passion; situation |
| 更 | gēng, gèng | more; even more; further; still; still more; to change |
| 怯 | qiè | afraid; rustic |
| 不 | bù | (negative prefix); not; no |
| 敢 | gǎn | dare |
| 問 or 问 | wèn | to ask |
| 來 or 来 | lái | to come |
| 人 | rén | man; person; people |
Crossing the Hanjiang river
No outside news nor letters come to us across the hills.
As winter passes and the year starts anew
the village feels yet more and more remote.
I fear inviting anyone at all.
DJW
Crossing the Hanjiang
The mountains bring isolation from the world
As spring comes again from winter
I feel the grip of fear
I dare not ask what has become of these people
MAW
I cross the great river
and go into the mountains, where it is peaceful
Winter passes and spring returns
but I do not return to the village
I am afraid to go among men
DN
Crossing a Chinese river
Through a mountain range in foreign parts,
its sound is like a book that is cut shortIt passes through winter to stand again in spring
Close to the country,
the feeling is even more rustic.Dare not ask the people to come.
TDG