Zǎo Qiū早秋Early Autumn by 许浑 (Xǔ Hún)

yáo yè fàn qīng sè, xī fēng shēng cuì luó

遥夜泛清瑟，西风生翠萝。

Through the long night, clear zither notes drift; the west wind stirs among the emerald vines.

cán yíng wěi yù lù, zǎo yàn fú yín hé

残萤委玉露，早雁拂银河。

Lingering fireflies succumb to the jade-white dew; early wild geese brush past the Milky Way.

gāo shù xiǎo huán mì, yuǎn shān qíng gèng duō

高树晓还密，远山晴更多。

The tall trees, at dawn, still seem dense with leaves; in the clear air, distant mountains appear numerous.

huái nán yī yè xià, zì jué lǎo yān bō

淮南一叶下，自觉老烟波。

In Huainan, a single leaf falls; I suddenly feel the aging of a wanderer on the misty waves.

Notes regarding the translation:

• Huainan (淮南): Refers to the region south of the Huai River.

• One leaf falls (一叶下): This is an allusion to the idiom "Yi ye zhi qiu" (一叶知秋), meaning "The falling of a single leaf heralds the coming of autumn."

• Smoke waves (烟波): A metaphor often used in classical Chinese poetry to describe the misty waters of rivers and lakes, symbolizing the life of a traveler or a recluse.