Author: Thomas

中文原文﹕

絕代有佳人，
幽居在空谷。
自云良家子，
零落依草木。

關中昔喪亂，
兄弟遭殺戮；
官高何足論？
不得收骨肉。

世情惡衰歇，
萬事隨轉燭。
夫婿輕薄兒，
新人美如玉。

合昏尚知時，
鴛鴦不獨宿；
但見新人笑，
那聞舊人哭？

在山泉水清，
出山泉水濁。
侍婢賣珠迴，
牽蘿補茅屋。

摘花不插髮，
采柏動盈掬。
天寒翠袖薄，
日暮倚修竹。

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

A fair lady of unrivalled beauty
Lived in a remote valley away from society.
She told of a good lineage,
But had fallen to the grass roots, and on no one could she rely.

Within the Great Wall once disorder raged,
All her brothers were massacred and family victimised.
What of the power and the glory of office so high?
When in the turmoil of war they couldn’t even remains find.

The fickle and shrewd of the world loathed the down and out,
Everything could change just like a candle in the wind might.
She was married to a philanderer,
He cast her aside and took another beauty as his other wife.

Mimosa furls tight in the dark,
Mandarin ducks do not sleep alone at night.
Yet her husband only attended to smiles of new company,
Never did he care whether she would cry.

In the mountains, spring water would run pure and clear,
Off the mountain, spring water would dirt gather and run vile.
She would send her maid to jewellery pawn so as to life sustain,
And to their thatched cottage maintain she put to use morning glory vines.

When she flowers picked, they were not for her hair,
She would however cypress leaves hold, for they fidelity signify.
She would brave the cold in her jade-colour light clothing,
As she leaned against slender yet virtuous bamboos in the twilight.

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

A fair lady of unrivalled beauty,
Lived in a remote valley away from society.
She told of a good lineage,
But had fallen to the grass roots, and on no one could she rely.

Within the Great Wall once disorder raged,
All her brothers were massacred and family victimised.
What of the power and the glory of office so high?
When in the turmoil of war they couldn’t even remains find.

The fickle and shrewd of the world loathed the down and out,
Everything could change just like a candle in the wind might.
She was married to a philanderer,
He cast her aside and took another beauty as his other wife.

Mimosa furls tight in the dark,
Mandarin ducks do not sleep alone at night.
Yet her husband only attended to smiles of new company,
Never did he care whether she would cry.

In the mountains, spring water would run pure and clear,
Off the mountain, spring water would dirt gather and run vile.
She would send her maid to jewellery pawn so as to life sustain,
And to their thatched cottage maintain she put to use morning glory vines.

When she flowers picked, they were not for her hair,
She would however cypress leaves hold, for they fidelity signify.
She braved the cold in her jade-colour light clothing,
Leaning on slender, tall and virtuous bamboos in the twilight.

.

中文原文﹕

人生不相見，
動如參與商，
今夕復何夕？
共此燈燭光。

少壯能幾時？
鬢髮各已蒼。
訪舊半為鬼，
驚呼熱中腸。

焉知二十載，
重上君子堂。
昔別君未婚，
兒女忽成行；
怡然敬父執，
問我來何方。
問答乃未已，
驅兒羅酒漿。

夜雨剪春韭，
新炊間黃粱。
主稱會面難，
一舉累十觴；
十觴亦不醉，
感子故意長。
明日隔山岳，
世事兩茫茫。

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

We have been unable to see each other for so long,
We have been like morning and evening stars that never meet in the sky.
What a night this has been?
For us to share this candlelight.

For how long does youth last?
Your hair has greyed and so has mine.
Of the old acquaintances I called upon, half of them have ghosts become,
Aghast and gut-wrenched I cried.

All of a sudden twenty years have gone by
Before I could again call on where you reside.
You were not engaged when we went our separate ways,
You are now married with children after all this time.
They courteously greet their father’s friend,
And my journey enquire.
Before I could their curiosity satisfy,
You have your son bringing out the wine.

We nibble on spring chives just gathered in the evening rain,
In a fresh meal that rough grains contain,
You marvel at how unexpected such a reunion is,
In one raise of a cup, you gulp down more than a pint.
Pints after, high in spirit you are, yet sober still,
And I am grateful for your friendship so genuine.
From tomorrow, there will be mountains to us separate,
What the future holds is veiled and vague.

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

We have been unable to reunite for so long,
We have been like morning and evening stars that never meet in the sky.
What a night this has been?
For us to share this candlelight.

For how long does youth last?
Your hair has greyed and so has mine.
Of the old acquaintances I called upon, half of them have ghosts become,
Aghast and gut-wrenched I cried.

All of a sudden twenty years have gone by
Before I could again call on where you reside.
You were not engaged when we went our separate ways,
You are now married with children after all this time.
They courteously greet their father’s friend,
And my journey enquire.
Before I could their curiosity satisfy,
You have you son bringing out the wine.

We nibble on spring chives just gathered in the evening rain,
In a fresh meal that rough grains contain, abundant is pure joy as old friends reunite.
You marvel at how unexpected such a reunion is,
In one go you gulp down more than a pint.
Pints after, high in spirit you are yet sober still,
And I am grateful for your friendship so genuine.
Tomorrow shall find us separated by mountains again,
What the future holds is vague and undefined.

.

中文原文﹕

岱宗夫如何？
齊魯青未了。
造化鐘神秀，
陰陽割昏曉。

蕩胸生層雲，
決眥入歸鳥。
會當凌絕頂，
一覽眾山小。

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

What of the Great Mountains that hither situate?
Still green everywhere are once warring states.
The creation of sky and earth gathers here heavenly splendour,
Bearing and geography determine light and shade.

My heart expands to take in layers of floating clouds,
I look out far and wide, I see birds their homeward journey make.
May I one day surmount the absolute highest,
For an outlook that miniaturize all mountains there lay.

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英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

What of the Great Mountains that hither situate?
Still green everywhere are once warring states.
The creation of sky and earth gathers here heavenly splendour,
Bearing and geography determine light and shade.

What moves me is seeing vast layers of clouds afloat,
I look out far and wide, I see birds their homeward journey make.
One day if I could, I’d like to rise atop the summit of all peaks,
Where I could gather a sight of all mountains there lay.

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中文原文﹕

燕草如碧絲，
秦桑低綠枝；
當君懷歸日，
是妾斷腸時。

春風不相識，
何事入羅幃？

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

Silky fine is the grass of the northern region of Yan,
Low and green hang mulberry branches of our western region of Qin.
When you have finally started to homecoming desire,
Distressed by your absence heartbroken am I.

Oh, breezes of spring, I know you not,
Why disturb my chamber curtains, my bedtime?

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

Silken fine is the grass of the northern Yan region,
Low and green hang branches of mulberry trees of our western Qin region.
When you have finally started to homecoming desire,
Distressed by your absence heartbroken am I.

Oh, breezes of spring, I know you not,
Why disturb my chamber curtains, my bedtime?

.

中文原文﹕

花間一壺酒，
獨酌無相親；
舉杯邀明月，
對影成三人。

月既不解飲，
影徒隨我身；
暫伴月將影，
行樂須及春。

我歌月徘徊，
我舞影零亂；
醒時同交歡，
醉后各分散。

永結無情游，
相期邈雲漢。

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

In amongst flowers with a bottle of wine
I drink alone for there is no one close by.
I raise my chalice to invite the shining moon,
The moon casts me a shadow and we have a triad.

The moon never learns to drink,
My shadow absent-mindedly follows me.
Nevertheless I have them around me,
Moments should be enjoyed as they be.

I sing and the moon lingers,
I dance and my shadow whirled under.
In my sober moments we rejoiced together,
Once I am drunk, it is a company no longer.

Such fellowship shall endure despite our parted ways,
Only heaven knows when we shall come together again.

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

In amongst flowers with a bottle of wine
I drink alone for there is no one close by.
I raise my chalice to invite the shining moon,
The moon casts me a shadow and we have a triad.

The moon never learns to drink,
My shadow absent-mindedly follows me.
Nevertheless I have them around me,
Moments should be enjoyed as they be.

I sing and the moon lingers,
I dance and my shadow whirled under.
In my sober moments we rejoiced together,
It is a company no longer once I am drunk.

Such fellowship shall last despite our parted ways,
When we shall come together again is up to the remote heavens above.

.

中文原文﹕

暮從碧山下，
山月隨人歸；
卻顧所來徑，
蒼蒼橫翠微。

相攜及田家，
童稚開荊扉；
綠竹入幽徑，
青蘿拂行衣。

歡言得所憩，
美酒聊共揮；
長歌吟松風，
曲盡河星稀。

我醉君復樂，
陶然共忘機。

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2018.07)﹕

I made my descent from the Zhongnan Mountains in the twilight,
The mountain moon followed me down as it rose high.
I looked back on the path taken,
What a sight of viridian belts traversing the hillside.

On my way I encountered a mountaineer and followed him home,
Where children came to open a gate made of twigs intertwined.
We passed through green bamboos onto a secluded path,
As we walked on, our clothes brushed past winding vines.

Pleasant conversations followed in the lodge where I could rest for the night,
Accompanies by good wine, we were chatty all the while.
We got on to sing folk songs like Wind in the Pines,
By the time we had finished singing, many heavenly stars have retired.

I was drunk in merriment and high in spirit was my company,
In such ambience of joy, worldly concerns and politics were out of mind.

.

英文翻譯 / English Translation (2011)﹕

I made my descent from the Zhongnan Mountains that twilight had tainted blue,
The mountain moon followed me down as it rose high.
I looked back on the path taken,
Only to see belts of viridian traverse the hillside.

On my way I encountered a mountaineer and followed him home,
Where children came to open a gate made of twigs intertwined.
I passed the threshold to find a secluded path behind green bamboos,
As we walked along, our clothes brushed pass various vines.

Inside the lodge pleasant conversations abounded and I had a resting place for the night,
Accompanies by good wine, we were chatty all the while.
We got on to sing folk songs like Wind in the Pines,
By the time we had finished singing, many heavenly stars have retired.

I was drunk in merriment and in high spirit my company was,
In such ambience of joy, the world of concerns and politics was out of mind.

.