Yellow Crane Tower
the yellow crane riders of old have already gone,
yellow crane tower stands empty here.
the cranes have flown, never to return.
a thousand white clouds sit in the vast air.
the temperate river’s sunlight on every tree.
fragrant grasses, parrots flourishing on an islet midstream.
at sunset where is the pass to our hometown?
mist hangs on the water like thoughts made form.
黄鹤楼
崔颢
昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼。
黄鹤一去不复返，白云千载空悠悠。
晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。
日暮乡关何处是？烟波江上使人愁。
Notes
yellow crane riders: a literary allusion to Taoist immortals; I like that it feels like a kenning, so I kept it as-is.