满江红 Man Hong Jiang Poetry Collection: 冬至 Winter Solstice by 范成大 Fan Chengda

Translation by me. Pinyin and Jyutping provided below.  

寒谷春生，熏叶气、玉筒吹谷。

Hán gǔ chūnshēng, xūn yè qì, yù tǒng chuīgǔ.

hon4 guk1 ceon1 saang1 ，fan1 jip6 hei3 、juk6 tung2 ceoi1 guk1 。
[winter][valley][spring][growth], [perfume][leaves][air], [jade][tube][blow][valley]

Spring sprouts in the cold winter; the aroma of new leaves fills in the valley like a flute sound.

新阳后、便占新岁，吉云清穆。

Xīn yáng hòu, biàn zhàn xīn suì, jí yún qīng mù.

san1 joeng4 hau6 、bin6 zim3 san1 seoi3 ，gat1 wan4 cing1 muk6 。

[new][sun][after], [then][consitute][[new year]], [[colourful clouds]][clear][serene]

After the sunrise, comes the new year in a sky of calmly floating clouds. 

休把心情关药裹，但逢节序添诗轴。

Xiū bǎ xīnqíng guān yào guǒ, dàn féng jié xù tiān shī zhóu.

jau1 baa2 sam1 cing4 gwaan1 joek6 gwo2 ，daan6 fung4 zit3 zeoi6 tim1 si1 zuk6 。

[Stop][grasp][[mood]][about][medicine][bundle], [but][upon][solar term][then][compose][poem][scroll]

Stop thinking on illness and medicine; but write a poem at the turn of the new solar term.

笑强颜、风物岂非痴，终非俗。

Xiào qiǎngyán, fēngwù qǐfēi chī, zhōng fēi sú.

siu3 koeng4 ngaan4 、fung1 mat6 hei2 fei1 ci1 ，zung1 fei1 zuk6 。

[smile][force][face], [[scenery]][[would it not be]][silly], [end][not][routine]

Even if I must force a smile; how silly not to marvel at nature to forget one's daily routine.

清昼永，佳眠熟。门外事，何时足?

Qīng zhòu yǒng, jiā mián shú. Mén wàishì, hé shí zú.

cing1 zau3 wing5 ，gaai1 min4 suk6 。mun4 ngoi6 si6 ，ho4 si4 zuk1 。

[clear][day][forever], [good][sleep][deep]. [door][outside][matters], [what][time][enough]?

The day is long and I slept well. But when will the matters of the world be satisfactory?

且团栾同社，笑歌相属。

Qiě tuán luán tóngshè, xiào gē xiāng zhǔ.

ce2 tyun4 lyun4 tung4 se5 ，siu3 go1 soeng1 suk6 。

[For now][gather][round][same][society], [smile][sing][together][affliliate]

For now, it's better to gather with like-minded friends, together we'll laugh and sing in harmony.

著意调停云露酿，从头检举梅花曲。

Zhuóyì tiáotíng yún lù niàng, cóngtóu jiǎnjǔ méihuā qū.

zyu3 ji3 diu6 ting4 wan4 lou6 joeng6 ，cung4 tau4 gim2 geoi2 mui4 faa1 kuk1 。

[[With care]][blend][stop][[Yunlu]][wine], [[from the start]][examine][cite][[plum blossom]][songs]

We'll make good yunlu wine and study the ancient musical notations.

纵不能将醉作生涯，休拘束。

Zòng bùnéng jiāng zuì zuò shēngyá, xiū jūshù.

zung3 bat1 nang4 zoeng3 zeoi3 zok3 saang1 ngaai4 ，jau1 keoi1 cuk1 。

[Even if][not][able][take][drunkeness][to be][[career]], [cease][constrain][bind]

Even though I can’t be drunk all the time, I am free at this moment.

Author: Fan Chengda范成 (1126–1193 AD), courtesy name Zhineng 致能, was a Chinese geographer, poet, and politician of the Song Dynasty. He served as a government official and was an academic authority in geography. His written work falls under the literary category of 'travel record literature' (yóujì wénxué), a narrative and prose style approach to writing about one's travel experiences. 

陸雲《谷風》| The Valley Wind by Lu Yün

 

I've seen this poem making the rounds in poetry circles in English with the translation by Arthur Waley. As talented as Arthur Waley is, translations are always an unrequited love letter to the original poem, especially when trying to translate between Chinese and another language. I include below romanisation in pinyin for mandarin and jyutping for cantonese, as these poems always tend to hold the better rhyme in Cantonese.

Living in retirement beyond the world
Silently enjoying isolation

閒居外物，靜言樂幽。

Xiánjū wài wù, jìng yán lè yōu. 

haan4 geoi1 ngoi6 mat6 ，zing6 jin4 lok6 jau1 。

I pull the rope of my door tighter
And stuff my window with roots and ferns.

繩樞增結，甕牖綢繆。

Shéng shū zēng jié, wèng yǒu chóumóu. 

sing4 syu1 zang1 git3，ung3 jau5 cau4 mau4 。

My spirit is tuned to the spring season
At the fall of the year there is autumn in my heart

和神當春，清節為秋。

Hé shén dāng chūn, qīng jié wèi qiū. 

wo4 san4 dong1 ceon1 ，cing1 zit3 wai4 cau1 。

Thus imitating cosmic changes
My cottage becomes a universe.

天地則爾，戶庭已悠。

Tiāndì zé ěr, hù tíng yǐ yōu.

tin1 dei6 zak1 ji5 ，wu6 ting4 ji5 jau4 。


Image is calligraphy by Xia Guoxian, source here.