Celebrate the Autumn… in English XAN

I can feel it in the air. It’s autumn and it’s wonderful. I have been looking forward to this since May.

I was reading some Classical Chinese poems, and found one that moved me, 武帝《秋風辞》. I especially like the first four lines:

(Ignore 兮[ケイ]. It has no meaning and is only there to make the rhythm. )

秋風起 (兮) 白雲飛
草木黄落(兮)雁南帰
蘭有秀(兮)菊有芳
懐佳人(兮)不能忘

秋風起こって白雲飛ぶ
草木(そうもく)黃落(こうらく)して雁(かり)南に帰る
蘭に秀(はな)有り菊に芳(かんば)しき有り
佳人を懐(おも)いて忘るる能(あた)わず

I love this poem. It’s very beautiful. So I wrote my own version of it. It is a very loose translation. It’s about the season and also about romance:

Autumn breeze blows low and rises
Powder white clouds climb into the sky and rise
Geese glide on the thermals and fly off
Eyes on southern climes

As the grass and trees once green turn gold
Leaves yellow and fall low
Rows of orchids, their faces woken
Their fragrance potent, petals open
Beauty showing to the world

Like you, my girl.
Eyes were awoken, mind was in motion, face was aglow.
Wings were unfurled.
You’re gone.
As if rising on the thermals, to the heights,
Vanishing, light, into the sky.
I think of you, girl…
Who has left my sight, my eyes,
But never leaves my mind

🫶🍁