钱塘湖春行

唐 · 白居易

1. 孤山寺北贾亭西，水面初平云脚低。

Vocabulary:

• 孤山寺 (Gū shān sì): Gushan Temple, a temple in Hangzhou.

• 北 (běi): north.

• 贾亭 (Jiǎ tíng): Jia Pavilion.

• 西 (xī): west.

• 水面 (shuǐ miàn): water surface.

• 初平 (chū píng): just becoming calm.

• 云脚 (yún jiǎo): lower part of clouds.

• 低 (dī): low.

Translation: To the north of Gushan Temple and to the west of Jia Pavilion, the water surface just became calm, and the lower parts of the clouds are low.

Notes:

• "孤山寺北贾亭西" describes the location: "north of Gushan Temple" and "west of Jia Pavilion."

• "初平" means "just becoming calm," referring to the water surface.

• "云脚低" describes the clouds being low.

2. 几处早莺争暖树，谁家新燕啄春泥。

Vocabulary:

• 几处 (jǐ chù): several places.

• 早莺 (zǎo yīng): early orioles.

• 争 (zhēng): to compete.

• 暖树 (nuǎn shù): warm trees.

• 谁家 (shuí jiā): whose family.

• 新燕 (xīn yàn): new swallows.

• 啄 (zhuó): to peck.

• 春泥 (chūn ní): spring mud.

Translation: In several places, early orioles compete for warm trees, and whose family’s new swallows are pecking at spring mud?

Notes:

• "早莺" means "early orioles," birds that sing early in the morning.

• "争暖树" means "competing for warm trees."

• "新燕啄春泥" refers to new swallows pecking at mud to build nests.

3. 乱花渐欲迷人眼，浅草才能没马蹄。

Vocabulary:

• 乱花 (luàn huā): various flowers.

• 渐 (jiàn): gradually.

• 欲 (yù): to want to.

• 迷 (mí): to dazzle.

• 人眼 (rén yǎn): human eyes.

• 浅草 (qiǎn cǎo): shallow grass.

• 才 (cái): just.

• 能 (néng): able to.

• 没 (mò): to submerge.

• 马蹄 (mǎ tí): horse hooves.

Translation: Various flowers gradually want to dazzle the eyes, and the shallow grass is just able to submerge horse hooves.

Notes:

• "乱花" refers to a mix of flowers.

• "渐欲迷人眼" means "gradually wanting to dazzle the eyes," describing how the flowers look overwhelming.

• "浅草" means "shallow grass."

• "才能没马蹄" means "just able to submerge horse hooves."

4. 最爱湖东行不足，绿杨阴里白沙堤。

Vocabulary:

• 最爱 (zuì ài): love the most.

• 湖东 (hú dōng): east of the lake.

• 行 (xíng): to walk.

• 不足 (bù zú): not enough.

• 绿杨 (lǜ yáng): green willow trees.

• 阴 (yīn): shade.

• 里 (lǐ): in.

• 白沙堤 (bái shā dī): Baisha Dike.

Translation: I love most walking on the east of the lake, never feeling enough, in the shade of green willows on Baisha Dike.

Notes:

• "最爱" means "love the most."

• "行不足" means "not enough walking," indicating a feeling of not having enough of the walk.

• "绿杨阴里" means "in the shade of green willows."

• "白沙堤" refers to Baisha Dike, a famous dike in West Lake.