Tang poems plus translations
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:38 am
In the process of co-editing a book in English and Czech (with one contribution in French) which will be published next year to honour the late great sinologist Professor Jaroslav Průšek on the hundredth anniversary of his birth, I had occassion to translate three Táng poems. As the work is already done, and there is reason to believe that some Agorists will find this matter of interest, I take the liberty of reproducing two of them below, along with my attempts at translation. One of the three, L. Bái's «Thoughts on a quiet night», we have already discussed on the other Agora ; so below I include only the original text. Both autumn and the autumn of our years....
Henri
Henri
靜夜思 李白
狀前明月光
疑是地上霜
擧頭望明月
低頭思故鄉
登高 杜甫
風急天高猿嘯哀,渚清沙白鳥飛回。
無邊落木蕭蕭下,不盡長江滾滾來。
萬里悲秋常作客,百年多病獨登臺。
艱難苦恨繁霜鬢,潦倒新停濁酒杯。
«Climbing high» Dù Fǔ
The wind sharp, heaven high, a monkey cries his grief
The islet bare, the sand white, birds wheel 'round.
Without end, tree leaves flutter and whistle down
Without ceasing, the great river surges, rolling forward.
Ten thousand miles through cheerless autumn, always on the move
Old and sick, I mount the look-out alone.
Hardship and bitter regret have frosted my temples
And frustrated, made me abstain from my cup of clouded wine.
寒江雪 柳宗元
千山鳥飛絕
萬 徑人蹤滅
孤舟蓑笠翁
獨釣寒江雪
«Cold river snow» Liǔ Zōngyuán
A thousand hills, but no birds fly
Ten thousand paths, but no human footprints
A lone boat, old man in cape and hat of straw
Fishing alone in the cold river snow.