Du Fu: Seagulls (From Chinese)

Seagulls
By Du Fu
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

The wintry seagull plays on the river bank
 no other concern but doing as he wants
But then he wishes  to flutter his jade-white feathers
 and at a whim  to skim the spring-green plants 
Yet as snow darkens he still must bathe in the cold 
 and as wind quickens  yield to being blown
Just a few flocks above the grayed blue sea 
 clear figures daily crying out alone


The Original:
(Medieval transcription thanks to a system developed by David Branner)


Han Characters 

 
杜甫 

江浦寒鷗戲, 
無他亦自饒。 
卻思翻玉羽, 
隨意點青苗。 
雪暗還須浴, 
風生一任飄。 
幾群滄海上, 
清影日蕭蕭。  
Medieval Chinese 

ou1
dúo1 púo3c

kong2 phúo1 ghan1 ou13bx
muo3c the1 yeik3b dzì3c nyau3
khak3 si3d phan3a nguk3cghúo3c
zwi3b ì3d tím4 tsheing4 mau3x
swat3b àm1a ghwan2a suo3c uk1
pung3b sreing2a et3by nyèm3 phau3y
3a gwen3a tshang1 héi1a dzyàng3
tsheing3b éing3a nyet3b sau4 sau4
Modern Mandarin 

Ōu  
Dù Fǔ  

Jiāngpǔ hán ōu xì,   
Wú tā yì zì ráo.  
Què sī fān yù yǔ,  
Suíyì diǎn qīng miáo.  
Xuě àn huán xū yù,  
Fēng shēng yírèn piāo.  
Jǐ qún cānghǎi shàng,  
Qīng yǐng rì xiāoxiāo  

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