Friday, May 2, 2008

Li Po: Drinking Alone in the Moonlight by Herbert A. Giles

              Chinese Greatest Poet Li Po (Li Bai) 701-762

Eight Versions of Li Po's Drinking Alone in the Moonlight 1
  

       《月下獨酌》李白
      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 醉後各分散
      永結無情遊 相期邈雲漢

  Last Words
        tr Herbert A. Giles ~1900?
An arbor of flowers and a kettle of wine:
Alas! In the bowers no companion is mine.
Then the moon sheds her rays on my goblet and me,
And my shadow betrays we’re a party of three!
Thou’ the moon cannot swallow her share of the grog,
And my shadow must follow wherever I jog,
Yet their friendship I’ll borrow and gaily carouse,
And laugh away sorrow while spring-time allows.
See the moon–how she dances response to my song;
See my shadow–it dances so lightly along!
While sober I feel, you are both my good friends;
While drunken I reel, our companionship ends,
But we’ll soon have a greeting without a goodbye,
At our next merry meeting away in the sky.

back-translation
       临终之言
           翟理斯 英译(约1900年)
花朵之荫,以及一壶酒:
唉,在这些凉亭中,我没有同伴。
月亮洒下清光,在高脚杯和我身上,
我的影子说漏了我们这是三人聚会!
虽说月亮不能倾杯喝下她的那份烈酒,
而我的影子却必须紧随我随意的漫步,
我且暂借它们的友情,纵情作乐,
趁着这春光未逝,在大笑中排解愁忧。
看那月亮,她竟以舞步回应我的歌声,
看我的影子,它也随之妙曼轻舞!
我觉得清醒的时候,你俩都是我的好友,
我感到酣醉之时,我们的相伴也就结束,
但是我们很快便会不告而别,
下一次寻欢相聚将在远天之外。

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