乌栖曲 A Tune of Crows Roosting Before the Eve

乌栖曲 李白，（701-762） 姑苏台上乌栖时， 吴王宫里醉西施。 吴歌楚舞欢未毕， 青山欲衔半边日。 银箭金壶漏水多， 起看秋月坠江波。 东方渐高奈乐何！ 唐诗参考资料

A Tune of Crows Roosting Before the Eve

When crows for nests are roosting before the eve
on Mount Gusu beside the Gusu Terrace,
The Wu state king is intoxicated by belle Xishi,
the carousal's darling of the Palace.
Before the Wu-toned songs and Chu-mode steps
Are sung and danced to the end with joy and fun,
The Mount Qing above the east horizon
Will swallow half of the sun.
The silver arrow tells the golden vase
Of clepsydra has dripped its water enow;
Arise, see how the autumn moon is sinking low
On the eastward flushing waves of the river flow;
How joyful it is that the eastern sky is rising high!

Notes

1. Gusu Terrace is on Mount Gusu, a small range about 15 km southwest of present day Suzhou City, which was called Gusu in ancient times.
2. The belle Xishi refers to a concubine of Fuchai (夫差, ? - 473 BC), king of the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋, 770 - 476 BC). Xishi was used by the King's enemy, the State of Yue (越) as part of a successful plot to overthrow the State of Wu. According to the critic Zhan Ying, this was a warning from Li Bai to his Tang Emperor regarding one of his concubines.
3. The silver arrow and golden vase (银箭金壶) refers to a water dripping timepiece.

Tang Poetry References