書扇呈瑞典國王妃
地臨北極畫常明,Binchun
夏日人來不夜城
遠到銀河開眼界
而今真作泛槎行。
'Fan Poem for Louise of the Netherland, the Queen of Sweden'
The land near the North Pole is always bright,Notes:
In the summer one meanders to the sleepless city,
The path to the Silver River expands one’s horizons,
Now this has truly become a rafting journey.
Binchun was a Qing dynasty bannerman; as an elderly man he was sent an a Chinese envoy to Europe in 1866. After his return to China, his writings (a journal and two books of poetry) enjoyed some popularity in late nineteenth century China.
銀河, ‘silvery river’ refers to the Milky Way.
斌椿 [Binchun], 乘查筆記 [Jottings from a Raft] (文寳堂: 1868), n.p. My translation.
