饮湖上初晴后雨

宋 苏轼

水光潋滟晴方好，

山色空濛雨亦奇。

欲把西湖比西子，

淡妆浓抹总相宜。

Drinking on the Lake, First Sunny, Then Rain

Water glistening with ripples beautiful on sunny days,

Mountains with haunting mist spectacular in the rain.

West Lake, by comparison, a perfect match for Xizi,

Makeup, light or heavy, either way appropriate.

Notes:

1.    This poem as composed in the 6th year of the Xining reign (1073)

2.    Xizi: Also known as Xishi, a beauty of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC)

饮湖上初晴后雨英文翻译