醉书 Drinking lines for the West Lake

醉书（六月二十七日望湖楼）

原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）

新版英译及赏析: 闵晓红(2023)

旧版英译:戈登.奥赛茵, 闵晓红, 黄海鹏(1990)

黑云翻墨未遮山，

白雨跳珠乱入船。

卷地风来忽吹散，

望湖楼下水如天。

Drinking lines for the West Lake

(at the Lakeside Pavilion, Hangzhou, 27 June, 1072)

Chinese original by Su Shi

New En. version+ annot. by Julia Min (2023)

old En. version by G. Osing, J. Min & H. Huang (1990)

A tide of cloud surges rolling ink past the hills.

White pearls of rain dance into my little boat.

Then quick as the scene’s swept, the storm’s left.

Where lake melts into sky, the porch cannot tell. 

Appreciation:

This poem is the first in a series of five Su Shi wrote while governing Hangzhou. Like a masterful handscroll painting, it begins with this intimate, first-hand experience on the boat, before panning out to the broader, contemplative view from the Lakeside Pavilion.

The poem itself unfolds like a dynamic sketch of the weather. It opens with the swift, ink-wash strokes of a storm—dark clouds rolling, rain dancing—only for the scene to be swept clean by a sudden wind. The final vista is one of profound stillness, where lake and sky merge into a seamless, tranquil whole. This rapid transition is more than just scenic drama; it feels like a lens on life itself. The initial turbulence mirrors passing troubles, while the expansive calm suggests a deeper, enduring harmony. This movement from chaos to clarity, from separation to unity, resonates with Daoist acceptance of nature's flowing changes. In the end, the poem masterfully layers all these meanings—vivid observation, philosophical insight, and personal serenity—into a single, panoramic moment that continues to reveal itself long after the first reading.

Reference:

1. Blooming Alone in Winter by Gordon Osing, Julia Min and Huang Haipeng，published by the People's Publication House Henan Province in 1990 (《寒心未肯随春态》戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红，黄海鹏) ("Drinking lines for the West Lake (in Hangzhou on June 27th) / Black clouds roll, ink almost flooding the hills, / Great raindrops dance around my boat like jewels; / Then, quick as the scene’s swept, the clouds dispelled,Where Lake becomes the sky my porch can’t tell.")

3. pictures from Google；

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