中文原文﹕
蔡女昔造胡笳聲，
一彈一十有八拍。
胡人落淚沾邊草，
漢使斷腸對歸客。
古戍蒼蒼烽火寒，
大荒沈沈飛雪白。
先拂商絃後角羽，
四郊秋葉驚摵摵。
董夫子，通神明，
深山竊聽來妖精。
言遲更速皆應手，
將往復旋如有情。
空山百鳥散還合，
萬里浮雲陰且晴。
嘶酸雛雁失群夜，
斷絕胡兒戀母聲。
川為靜其波，
鳥亦罷其鳴；
烏孫部落家鄉遠，
邏娑沙塵哀怨生。
幽音變調忽飄灑，
長風吹林雨墮瓦；
迸泉颯颯飛木末，
野鹿呦呦走堂下。
長安城連東掖垣，
鳳凰池對青瑣門，
高才脫略名与利，
日夕望君抱琴至。
英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕
Lady Cai of Han gave rise to tunes specific to Tartar reed pipes.
And composed a song of eighteen verses.
Tartars were touched weeping on grass over the border,
Even the Han envoy sent to bring her home felt her parting sorrow and felt for her.
This watch tower stands in the cold in an old battlefield,
Drifting snow brings a wash of white to the gloom of the Great Desert.
The player started with a high note in Shang followed by low keys of Jue and Yu,
Abuzz in the background is the autumnal leaves rustling in the outskirts.
Master Dong, how your musical attainments do heaven reach,
Even fairies deep in the mountains would come to listen in and heed.
Change the tempo between slow and quick is nothing but a few gestures of your hands,
Every turn of a tune is so charming with an ever affectionate feel.
In the remote mountains where hundreds of birds scatter in the sky would here gather,
An overcast sky for thousands of miles would suddenly sunshine beam.
There resounds the sadness of fledglings of wild geese separated from their flock at night,
Much like Lady Cai's Tartar sons crying for their mother not to leave.
Even rivers could be made to quieten down and ease their waves,
And birds would take notice and stop their tweets.
Betrothed to the distant Wusun tribe far from home, the Han princess bewailed her fate,
Even a general like Xue Rengui would over dusty Luosuo's remoteness grieve.
A sudden wind comes to drift these mourning notes as they turn and intensify,
In the gusty wind, woods rustle and whistle, and rain falls hard on roof tiles;
Cascading off tips and tops of soughing trees are springing rainwater,
Wild deer underneath feebly bleat doleful cries.
By the eastern keep of Changan where you are assigned to take up residence,
There stands the Gate of Jadeite opposite the Pond of Phoenix,
Fame and fortune should shackle you not for you are a talented and learned scholar,
Day and night, how I wish for you to hither arrive with your cittern.
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