English中文
Fisherman's Pride: The Brook Before My Gate Has Risen
近日门前溪水涨。
郎船几度偷相访。
船小难开红斗帐。
无计向。
合欢影里空惆怅。
Of late the stream before our gate has risen; how many times has your boat stolen its way to visit me? The boat is too small to spread the red bed canopy — nothing to be done: within the shadow of our brief joy, vain regret.
愿妾身为红菡萏。
年年生在秋江上。
重愿郎为花底浪。
无隔障。
随风逐雨长来往。
I wish that I might be a red lotus, growing year after year upon the autumn river. And further wish that you might be the ripples beneath the flowers — with no barrier between, following the wind and the rain, forever coming and going.
Reading notes
The text follows 偷相访, a secret visit. 斗帐 is a small bed canopy; 斗 is read dǒu. 菡萏 means lotus. 重 in 重愿 is read chóng, introducing a further wish.