Wang Wei died in 759, and thus did not outlast the devastating events of the An Lushan Rebellion (755–759). In 756, the capital of Chang’an, causing great loss of life. Wang was captured by rebel forces and held as a prisoner but managed to escape. For this, he suffered a fall from the emperor’s grace….
Category: Wang Wei
Yearning – Wang Wei
Red berries born in the south Whose branches are full in the Spring A gentleman wishes you gather many As a symbol of our love Wang Wei Wang Wei (王維, 699–759) is regarded as one of the three most admired poets of the Tang dynasty, the other two being Li Bai and Du Fu. But…
Bamboo House – Wang Wei
Updated version February 2021 Sitting alone in a bamboo grovePlucking a zither, whistling alongDeep in the forest, in a spot unknownWaiting for a bright moon to come Or, Sitting alone in a bamboo grovePlucking a zither, repeating this song:Deep in the forest, in a spot hard to findA full moon is coming to shine Inside…
Deer Park
Deep in the mountain forest, not a soul can be seenStill, I hear a sound stirring, a voiceAnd see the setting sun looking back Reflecting on the green moss Version Two No one is seen in the empty mountains, and yetA voice is heard, no more.In these deep dark woods, setting sunlightShines on green moss,…
Mixed Verse – Wang Wei
Mixed Verse You, who come from the old country Tell me what is happening On that cold day you left, did you see my silken paintings, and Were the first plum flowers blossoming yet English translation of Wang Wei’s poem 雜 詩 The title, 雜 詩, is variously translated as mixed verse, mixed lines, miscellaneous poetry,…
Farewell – Wang Wei
At the suggestion of a comment, I have rewritten this poem. The rewrite is considerably different from the original translation, proving that I am a bad translator, was in a hurry, that translations are difficult, or all three. One of the many pitfalls of translations is to translate phonetically similar words on the basis of…
100 Tang Poems 