白翎雀歌
[元]虞集
乌桓[1]城下白翎雀[2]，
雌雄相呼以为乐。
平沙无树托[3]营巢，
八月雪深黄草薄。
君不见旧时飞燕在昭阳[4]，
沉沉宫殿锁鸳鸯。
芙蓉露冷秋宵永[5]，
芍药风暄[6]春昼长。
注释：
[1]乌桓：古时北方少数民族名。
[2]白翎雀：白色羽毛的雁雀。
[3]托：筑造。
[4]昭阳：泛指后妃居住的宫殿。
[5]永：无穷尽，时间长。
[6]暄：温暖。
Song of White-plumed Skylarks
Yu Ji
The white-plumed skylarks’ neath Mongolian city wall,
Male and female, delight in hearing mutual call.
In desert there’s no tree for them to build their nest;
’Mid withered grass beneath eighth moon’s deep snow they rest.
Have you not seen
The Flying Swallow[1] in Sunny Palace of yore
And many love-birds locked up within somber door?
They heard dew drip on lotus each cold autumn night
And saw the breeze caress peonies in spring bright.
注释：
[1]The Flying Swallow was the favorite mistress of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty in the first century BC.
