Winter sunlight falls thick
after the clouds have cleared.
Push away, push away!
Ice binds heaven and earth, yet the sea remains unchanged;
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
billow after billow,
rolls of silk unfurled.
The nets freeze phrase is from Du Fu.
Are line and pole in proper order;
has the boat been sealed with bamboo?
Weigh anchor, weigh anchor!
They say nets freeze on Xiao Lake and the Xiang River.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
There's no better place
for fishing now.
The fish have left the shallows,
gone to deeper pools.
Hoist the sail, hoist the sail!
Let's head for the fishing grounds while the weather holds fine.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Fat fish bite,
they say, when the bait is right.
When the snow cleared last night
the whole world had changed.
Row the boat, row the boat!
A sea of glass in front, jade mountain folds behind.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Is this where the Immortals live,
where the Buddha lives? It cannot be the world of men.
Oblivious of net and pole
I tap the lip of the boat.
Row the boat, row the boat!
How often have I pondered going back across the river?
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Those unpredictable
strong gusts, will they blow or not?
Li Su of Tang released flocks of ducks and geese to conceal the movement of his troops, thus gaining victory in a battle with Wu Yuanji. The "shame of the trees" refers to the fears of the retreating troops of Fu Jian after a shattering defeat in 383: they were afraid that the enemy was concealed behind every tree.
Crows fly off to roost;
quite a few have passed me by?
Lower the sail, lower the sail!
The road ahead darkens; snow falls in the fading light.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Who will attack
Oya Lake and wash away the shame of the trees?
The big-mouthed fine-scaled fish phrase is from Su Dongpo's second prose poem, "Red Cliff".
Red cliffs and green rock faces
surround me like a painted screen.
Heave to, heave to!
What matter whether or not I've caught big-mouthed fine-scaled fish?
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
I sit in my sedge cape and hat,
heart quickening in my solitary boat.
The idea of the clouds that block out the world presumably comes from a hanshi by Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn.
How valiant that solitary pine
standing on the bank!
Tie up, tie up!
Do not find fault with murky clouds; they block out the world.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Do not tire of
roaring waves; they blot out the dust and clamour.
Yan Ziling retired from the court of Emperor Guangwu; dressed in sheepskin he spent his life fishing the Qili River. Jiang Taigong fled from the tyranny of the Shang king, Zhou, and spent ten years fishing. King Wen discovered him on the banks of the Wei and brought him back as chief counselor.
It's been said from of old
that the sage lives in seclusion.
Drop anchor, drop anchor!
Who was it that wore the sheepskin and fished the Qili River?
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
What of the man
who fished for ten years, counting the time on his fingers?
Ah! the day comes to a close
it's time to eat and rest.
Beach the boat, beach the boat!
Red petals tint the snow-filmed road as I walk merrily home.
Chigukch'ong, chigukch'ong, ŏsawa!
Till the snow moon
crosses West Peak, I'll keep my pine window aslant.