Ode to the Wind – Yu Shi Non (558-638)

Ode to the Wind

The dancer’s light sleeves flutter,
Spinning together around the column
In tune with the music.
Moving branches cast confused shadows,
Windblown flowers bring fragrance from afar.

This poem reminds me the conclusion of W.B. Yeats’ “Among School Childen”:

“O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?”

咏风
yong feng
chant wind

虞世南 【Yú Shì nán】 Yu Shi’nan (558-638), politician of Sui and early Tang periods, poet and calligrapher, one of Four Great Poets of early Tang 唐初四大家 【Táng chū Sì Dà jiā】 Four Great Poets of early Tang; refers to Yu Shi’nan 虞世南, Ouyang Xun 欧阳询, Chu Suiliang 楮遂良 and Xue Ji 薛稷.

逐舞飘轻袖，
zhu wu piao qing xiu,
Pursue dance flutter light sleeve

传歌共绕梁。
chuan ge gong rao liang.[I can’t make this word fit. a Name?
express song together revolve Column

动枝生乱影，
dong zhi sheng luan ying
move branch give birth to confused shadow

吹花送远香。
chui hua song yuan xiang.
blow flower from far fragrant