有约
赵师秀[1]
黄梅时节[2]家家雨[3]，
青草池塘处处蛙。
有约不来过夜半，
闲敲棋子落灯花[4]。
注释：
[1] 赵师秀：公元1190年进士。《千家诗》注说：“立夏后数日为入梅，故曰黄梅。梅天多雨，家家雨，言友人皆闭户而不出也。处处蛙，言池塘之中蛙声聒耳也。约友朋夜话以消岑寂，又因雨阻而不来。闲坐不胜其闷，灯下敲棋而灯花落尽也。”这首诗写出了诗人在夏日雨夜消愁解闷的情景。
[2] 黄梅时节：梅雨季节。
[3] 家家雨：指家家户户被梅雨所封阻。
[4] 灯花：灯芯久燃而结成的花形灰烬。
A Promise Unkept
Zhao Shixiu
In rainy season house on house is steeped in rain;
On poolside meadow here and there frogs croak in vain.
My friend’s not kept his word to come, now it’s midnight.
What can I do but play chess alone by lamplight?
《有约》是宋代赵师秀创作作的一首诗。诗的一二句写梅雨季节乡村的景象，很典型。三四句写主人久等客不至的无聊心情，情景逼真。这是赵师秀的特“秀”之作。该诗写的是诗人在一个风雨交加的夏夜独自期客的情景。诗歌采用写景寄情的写法，表达了诗人内心复杂的思想感情。是一首情景交融、清新隽永、耐人寻味的精妙小诗。
“A Promise Unkept” is a poem composed by Zhao Shixiu in the Song Dynasty. The first two lines of the poem are typical of the countryside during the rainy season. The third and fourth lines describe the boredom of the host who waits for a long time for his guest to arrive, and the scene is realistic. This is a special “show” poem of Zhao Shixiu. The poem is about the poet’s lonely expectation of a guest on a stormy summer night. The poem expresses the poet’s complex thoughts and feelings by using the style of writing scenes and sending emotions. It is a subtle poem with a blend of scenes, fresh and timeless, and intriguing.
