一个自由译者的生命记录

少无适俗韵,
性本爱丘山
误落尘网中,
一去十三年
羁鸟恋旧林,
池鱼思故渊
开荒南野际,
守拙归园田
方宅十余亩,
草屋八九间
榆柳荫后檐,
桃李罗堂前
暖暖远人村,
依依圩里烟
狗吠深巷中,
鸡鸣桑树巅
户庭无尘杂,
虚室有余闲
久在樊笼里,
复得返自然

While young, I was not used to worldly cares,
And hills became my natural compeers,
But by mistakes I fell in mundane snares
And thus entangled was for thirteen years.
A caged bird would long for wonted wood,
And fish in tanks for native pools would yearn.
Go back to till my southern fields I would.
To live a rustic life why not return?
My plot of ground is but ten acres square;
My thatched cottage has eight or nine rooms.
In front I have peach trees here and plums there;
O'er back eaves willow trees and elms cast glooms.
A village can be seen in distant dark,
Where plumes of smoke rise and waft in the breeze.
In alley deep a dog is heard to bark,
And cocks crow as if o'er mulberry trees.
Into my courtyard no one should intrude,
Nor rob my private rooms of peace and leisure.
After long years of abject servitude,
Again in nature I find homely pleasure.

白发被两鬓,
肌肤不复实
虽有五男儿,
总不好纸笔

阿舒已二八,
懒惰故无匹
阿宣行志学,
而不爱文术

雍端年十三,
不识六与七
通子垂九龄,
但觅梨与栗

天运苟如此,
且近杯中物

My temples now are covered with white hairs;
My skin is wrinkled, my muscles are slack.
Although I have five sons, none of them cares
To learn to read or write in white or black.

My eldest son already is twice eight,
For laziness none can be his compeer.
My second son will never dedicate
Himself to fine arts, though at fifteen years.

My third son is thirteen, so is my fourth one,
But they don't know how much makes six plus seven.
Nearly nine years old is my youngest son,
Amid the pears and nuts he is in heaven.

Alas!If such be the decree divine,
What can I do but drain my cup of wine!

结庐在人境
而无车马喧
问君何能尔
心远地自偏
采菊东篱下
悠然见南山
山气日夕佳
飞鸟相与还
此中有真意
欲辩已忘言

Among the haunts of men I build my cot,
There's noise of wheels and hoofs, but I hear not.
How can it leave upon my mind no trace?
Secluded heart creats secluded place.
I pick fence-side chrysanthemums at will
And leisurely I see the southern hill,
Where mountain air is fresh both day and night,
And where I find home-going birds in flight.
What is the revelation at this view?
Words fail me e'en if I try to tell you.

有生必有死
早终非命促
昨暮同为人
今旦在鬼录
魂气散何之
枯形见空木
娇儿索父啼
良友抚我哭
得失不复知
是非安能觉
千秋万岁后
谁知荣与辱
但恨在世时
饮酒不得足

Wherever there is life, there must be death;
Sooner or later we'll breathe our last breath.
Last night we lived as men who fill their posts;
Today my name's enlisted among the ghosts.
Where is my soul that's fled far, far away?
A shrivelled form in wooden box would stay.
My children seek after their father, crying;
My friends caress my dead body, sighing.
For gain or loss I no longer care,
And right or wrong is no more my affair.
Thousands of springs and autumns pass away,
So will disgrace and glory of today.
Perchance I may regret, whild living still,
I have not drunken good wine to my fill.

中庭杂树多
偏为梅咨嗟
问君何独然
念其霜中能作花
露中能作实
摇荡春风媚春日
念尔零落逐寒风
徒有霜华无霜质

In midcourt there are many trees,
To the mume my admiration goes.
Why this singular favour, please?
In defiance of frost it blows.
It has borne fruit in spite of frost
And danced in wind to win the vernal morn,
While other blooms in icy blasts are lost
Or from the branches they are torn.

敕勒川
阴山下
天似穹庐
笼盖四野
天苍苍
野茫茫
风吹草低见牛羊

By the side of the rill,
At the foot of the hill,
The grassland stretches 'neath the firmament tranquil.
The boundless grassland lies
Beneath the boundless skies.
When the winds blow
And grass bends low,
My sheep and cattle will emerge before your eyes.

唧唧复唧唧
木兰当户织
不闻机杼声
唯闻女叹息

问女何所思
问女何所忆
女亦无所思
女亦无所忆
昨夜见军帖
可汗大点兵
军书十二卷
卷卷有爷名
阿爷无大儿
木兰无长兄
愿为市鞍马
从此替爷征

东市买骏马
西市买鞍鞯
南市买辔头
北市买长鞭

旦辞爷娘去
暮宿黄河边
不闻爷娘唤女声
但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅

旦辞黄河去
暮至黑山头
不闻爷娘唤女声
但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾

万里赴戎机
关山度若飞
朔气传金柝
寒光照铁衣
将军百战死
壮士十年归

归来见天子, 天子坐明堂
策勋十二转, 赏赐百千强
可汗问所欲
木兰不用尚书郎,
愿借明驼千里足,
送儿还故乡

爷娘闻女来
出郭相扶将
阿姊闻妹来 当户理红妆
小弟闻姊来 磨刀霍霍向猪羊

开我东阁门
坐我东阁床
脱我战时袍
着我旧时裳
当窗理云鬓
对镜帖花黄
出门看伙伴
伙伴皆惊惶
同行十二年
不知木兰是女郎

雄兔脚扑朔
雌兔眼迷离
双兔傍地走
安能辨我是雌雄

Alack, alas! alack, alas!
She weaves and sees the shuttle pass.
You cannot hear the shuttle, why?
Its whir is drowned in her deep sigh.

"Oh, what are you thinking about?
Will you tell us? Will you speak out?"
"I have no worry on my mind,
Nor have I grief of any kind.
I read the battle roll last night;
Than Khan has ordered men to fight.
The roll was written in twelves books;
My father's name was in twelve nooks.
My father has no grown-up son,
For elder brother I have none.
I'll get a horse of hardy race
And serve in my old father's place."

She buys a steed at eastern fair,
A whip and saddle here or there.
She buys a bridle at the south
And metal bit for horse's mouth.

At dawn she leaves her parents by the city wall;
At dusk she reaches Yellow River shore.
All night she listens for old folks' familiar call,
But hears only the Yellow River's roar.

At dawn she leaves the Yellow River shore;
To Mountains Black she goes her way.
At night she hears old folks' familiar voice no more,
But only on north mountains Tatar horses neigh.

For miles and miles the army march along
And cross the mountain barriers as in flight.
The northern wind has chilled the watchman's gong,
Their coat of mail glistens in wintry light.
In ten years they've lost many captains strong,
But battle-hardened warriors come back in delight.

Back, they have their audience with the Khan in the hall,
Honours and gifts are lavished on warriors all.
The Khan asks her what she wants as a grace.
"A camel fleet to carry me to my native place."

Hearing that she has come,
Her parents hurry to meet her at city gate,
Her sister rouges her face at home,
Her younger brother kills pig and sheep to celebrate.

She opens the doors east and west
And sits on her bed for a rest.
She doffs her garb worn under fire
And wears again female attire.
Before the window she arranges her hair
And in the mirror sees her image fair.
Then she comes out to see her former mate,
Who stares at her in amazement great:
"We have marched together for twelve years,
We did not know there was a lass 'mid our compeers!"

"Both buck and doe have a little gait
And both their eyelids palpitate.
When side by side two rabbits go,
Who can tell the buck from the doe?"