Author: Thomas

中文原文﹕

殘陽西入崦，
茅屋訪孤僧。
落葉人何在？
寒雲路幾層。
獨敲初夜磬，
閒倚一枝藤。
世界微塵裏，
吾寧愛與憎？

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

The evening sun sets behind the Yanzi Mountains in the west,
I've come to a thatched cottage to an isolated Buddhist monk's acquaintance make.
Where is the venerable one among fallen leaves all around?
On my way here, clouds have been building in the cold, layer after layer.
Then I see him striking the first evening bell on his own,
When he takes a rest he pauses and leans against his cane.
The kaleidoscopic universe is nothing more than a grain of dust,
How could I insist on clinging onto love and hate?

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中文原文﹕

客去波平檻，
蟬休露滿枝。
永懷當此節，
倚立自移時。
北斗兼春遠，
南陵寓使遲。
天涯占夢數，
疑誤有新知。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

After you were gone floods came to my doorstep,
Cicadas have stopping singing and dew grows heavy on trees at night.
During such a season I think of you constantly,
I lean against railing to stars gaze loosing track of time.
Spring has gone far, seemingly as distant from me as the northern pole star,
There has been no messenger from you since you at the Southern Hills residence arrived.
Being a world apart I had my dreams divined several times,
Leaving me with doubts and suspicion that you may have met another to admire.

.

中文原文﹕

高閣客竟去，
小園花亂飛。
參差連曲陌，
迢遞送斜暉。
腸斷未忍掃，
眼穿仍欲歸。
芳心向春盡，
所得是沾衣。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Admirers of spring flowers have left the galleries,
Adrift in the garden are fallen blossoms.
On winding paths they randomly fall,
Making whirls as they see off daylight's afterglow.
Feeling gutted I have not the heart to sweep them away,
As they are probably still looking forward to former glory restore.
Gone with spring is my aspiring heart,
All I have are robe-drenching teardrops.

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中文原文﹕

淒涼寶劍篇，
羈泊欲窮年。
黃葉仍風雨，
青樓自管弦。
新知遭薄俗，
舊好隔良緣。
心斷新豐酒，
銷愁斗幾千。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

“A Sword of Value” tells of the lonesomeness of a gifted man of letters like mine,
Still a vagabond wayfaring the world I am who is about to another year idle away.
Before me yellowing leaves flicker and waver in the wind in the rain,
In brothels the rich and the wealthy enjoy flutes and string instruments play.
Novel impressions can be easily dampened by practical concerns,
Old affections have long been severed by their now married state.
Heartbroken in the presence of freshly brewed wine,
I can down gallons of it despite its price to nostalgia efface.

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中文原文﹕

本以高難飽，
徒勞恨費聲。
五更疏欲斷，
一樹碧無情。
薄宦梗猶汎，
故園蕪已平。
煩君最相警，
我亦舉家清。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

By nature, being above worldly desires can hardly satisfy needs,
Why bother holding a grudge and utter grievances in vain.
At dawn roosters crow here and there as if interrupted,
The tree you are on is still green showing you little consolation.
A low-ranking regional officer like me roams like a drifting stem,
Any family property I used to possess have long become a waste.
I owe it to your calls reminding me,
That I also have a family untainted by desire, in that we are much the same.

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中文原文﹕

遙夜泛清瑟，
西風生翠蘿。
殘螢委玉露，
早雁拂銀河。
高樹曉還密，
遠山晴更多。
淮南一葉下，
自覺老煙波。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Becoming chilly and crisp is the air, and extended night-time.
In the westerlies waver creeping vines.
Fireflies from the season's end on sparkling dew drops rest,
Across the starry sky whisk geese of the wild taking early flight.
At daybreak trees of lofty height denser seem,
More mountains and hills come to the fore on a day so fine.
Leaves have begin to fall south of River Huai,
I have a feeling that among misty waters I shall remain as I age past my prime.

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中文原文﹕

紅葉晚蕭蕭，
長亭酒一瓢。
殘雲歸太華，
疏雨過中條。
樹色隨山迥，
河聲入海遙。
帝鄉明日到，
猶自夢漁樵。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Before me is a reddened wood of rustling maple leaves,
Here on a pavilion I have with me a pint of wine enjoying my ease.
Towards the Taihua Peak float clouds caught by the remains of the afterglow,
Rain begins to fall sparsely over the Central Peak.
As mountains range away their hues fade, the atmosphere vary the colour of trees.
The bellow of the Yellow River resonates as it rushes towards the sea,
Tomorrow I shall arrive at the capital of our empire,
Yet I still of the life of a angler or a woodsman dream.

.

中文原文﹕

旅館無良伴，
凝情自悄然。
寒燈思舊事，
斷雁警愁眠。
遠夢歸侵曉，
家書到隔年。
滄江好煙月，
門繫釣魚船。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

I stopped over at an inn without a companion,
I became immersed in my own thoughts as I of silence took heed.
By a lamp in the cold I pondered over my past,
A sudden cry of a lone goose disturbed my light and worried sleep.
I just dreamt of homecoming, only to wake up to another day dawning on me,
It's been a year since I last a letter from home receive.
The river is bleak, the moon and the fog picturesque,
Outside the inn moor fishing boats by the quay.

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中文原文﹕

離離原上草，
一歲一枯榮。
野火燒不盡，
春風吹又生。
遠芳侵古道，
晴翠接荒城。
又送王孫去，
萋萋滿別情。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Extending for miles and miles is a field of grass,
Year after year it shrivels and grows back.
It never burns out in bush fires,
Spring breezes would always life revive.
In the distance, upon an old trail it trespasses,
The vivid green stretches its way towards the yonder ruins of a castle.
Here I am again seeing off a nobleman,
Leaving me with parting sorrow as thick as this field is with grass that saturates.

.

中文原文﹕

前年伐月支，
城下沒全師。
蕃漢斷消息，
死生長別離。
無人收廢帳，
歸馬識殘旗。
欲祭疑君在，
天涯哭此時。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Two years ago an army was sent to war with Yuezhi,
At the base of their town the whole division was annihilated.
There has been no contact between them and us ever since,
Forever separated are those dead and alive.
There probably remains no one to follow up and decamp,
Those horses that manage to return may still our military banners recognise.
I'd like to hold a memorial service for you, yet I am doubtful if you had really perished,
Here in a world so vast and broad, for you I cry.

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