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望海潮
柳永
东南形胜[1]，
三吴[2]都会，
钱塘[3]自古繁华。
烟柳画桥，
风帘翠幕，
参差[4]十万人家。
云树[5]绕堤沙。
怒涛卷霜雪，
天堑[6]无涯。
市列珠玑，
户盈罗绮，
竞豪奢。
重湖叠清嘉[7]，
有三秋[8]桂子，
十里荷花。
羌管弄晴，
菱歌泛夜，
嬉嬉钓叟莲娃。
千骑拥高牙[9]，
乘醉听箫鼓，
吟赏烟霞。
异日图将好景，
归去凤池[10]夸。
注释：
[1]形胜：地理形势险要之处。亦指风景优美之地。
[2]三吴：历代说法不一。《水经注》以吴兴、吴郡、会稽一带为三吴。这里泛指江浙。
[3]钱塘：今浙江杭州市。
[4]参差：大约，将近。
[5]云树：高入云霄的参天大树。
[6]天堑：天然的壕沟，言其险要而不易越过。一般指长江，这里指钱塘江。
[7]“重湖”句：重湖，杭州西湖以白堤为界，分为里湖和外湖，故曰重湖。叠山献，重叠的山峰。清嘉，清秀嘉丽。
[8]三秋：秋季的第三个月，即农历九月。
[9]高牙：以象牙做装饰的高大军旗。
[10]凤池：凤凰池，为中书省的所在地，中书省是宋代最高行政机构。这里代指朝廷。
Watching the Tidal Bore
Liu Yong
Scenic splendor southeast of River Blue
And capital of ancient Kingdom Wu,
Qiantang’s as flourishing as e’er.
The smokelike willows form a windproof screen;
Adorned with painted bridges and curtains green,
A hundred thousand houses spread out here and there.
Upon the banks along the sand,
Cloud-crowned trees stand.
Great waves roll up like snowbanks white;
The river extends till lost to sight.
Jewels and pearls at the Fair on display,
Satins and silks in splendid array,
People vie in magnificence
And opulence.
The lakes reflect the peaks and towers,
Late autumn fragrant with osmanthus flowers,
Lotus in bloom for miles and miles.
Northwestern pipes play with sunlight;
Water chestnut songs are sung by starlight;
Old fishermen and maidens young all beam with smiles.
With flags before and guards behind you come;
Drunken, you may listen to flute and drum,
Chanting the praises loud
Of the land beneath the cloud.
You may picture the scene another day
And boast to the Court where you’ll go in full array.
注释：
The poet dedicates this lyric to Sun He, governor of Qiantang (modern Hangzhou). The scenery in Qiantang is so well described in this lyric that even the commander-in-chief of the Jurchen invaders would cross the river to admire the scenic splendor.
