浣溪沙.软草平莎过雨新 My horse loves the sandy edges along the river

浣溪沙.软草平莎过雨新

(徐州石潭谢雨，道上作五首。潭在城东二十里，常与泗水增减清浊相应。)

原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）

英译及赏析: 闵晓红(2024.08)

软草平莎过雨新，

轻沙走马路无尘。

何时收拾耦耕身？

日暖桑麻光似泼，

风来蒿艾气如薰。

使君元是此中人。

My horse loves the sandy edge along the river

(The 5th of five poems composed on my way to and from a ceremony to thank the Rain God for the rain after a drought at Stone Lake, about 10 km east of Xuzhou City. Records show that the lake often contrasts with River Si in water level and clarity.)

Chinese original: Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Zizhan', art name 'Dongpo')

English translation & annotation: Julia Min (Aug. 2024)

My horse loves the sandy edge along the river,

where grasses and sedges are fresh after rain.

A dormant heart hears a yearning call for return

to a country life in fields—a commoner again.

A sea of wormwood and mugwort in sweet scent.

A land of hemp and mulberry in summer glint.

Life’s easy and breezy working with countrymen.

This mayor was once a farmhand just like them.

Appreciation:

This poem painted a pastoral setting, vividly touched with personified details about the subject and the relationship between man and nature. The enduring appeal of country life has been a constant presence in Dongpo’s work ever since his service in the Royal Court, especially after he was sent to jail in his late 40s.

He was not alone in this. It was a popular mood among the gentlemen who had once been farmers in the country before settling in the cities.

His love for the land is further explored here in his yearning to return with his brother to a simple country life in their hometown, Meizhou, Sichuan. In the second stanza, the theme is enriched by a happy image of his life among the people he governed with love. Su Shi has indeed always been remembered as a great leader of the people.

Reference:

1. picture from “百家号/视觉中国”

2. https://www.gushiwen.cn/