“Yule, alane at the temple’’
efter Su Shi
Deep doon the well whaur nae wairmth his yet come tae retour
The weet souchin of a cauld rain his drookit wither roots
Sic a wather fir a body tae gang ben an meet the maister –
Sic isnae time fir floo’ers, forbye, on ma ain I cam oot.
Scots version by Paul Magrati, Peng Yuqian
and Wang Xueqiao
Winter Solstice, alone at the temple.
Deep down the well, where summer has not come back yet, the oozy pouring of the rain has drenched withered roots. It is rough weather for anybody to enter the home of his master and though flowers are far-away I came down here, alone.
Paraphrased in English by Paul Magrati