Monk Yikong: Untitled

　　　　无题
　　　　　　　　【唐】依空
三十年来寻剑客，几回落叶又抽枝。
自从一见桃花后，直至如今更不疑。

诗人简介：俗名志勤，生卒年不详，唐朝禅师。

Word-by-word exegesis 逐字注：

　　　无题No title
　　　　【唐】依空 Yikong (Relying on Emptiness)
三three　十ten　年year　来so far　寻search　剑sword　客man/ guest
几several　回times　落fallen　叶leaves　又again　抽shoot　枝twig
自ever　从since　一one/ the first　见see　桃peach　花flower　后after
直till　至to　如今now　更still (more)　不not　疑doubt

Literal rendition字面直译
For thirty years I’ve been a man after the swordsman life,
For several times fallen leaves grow back on the twigs.
Ever since the time I saw peach flowers,
Even till today I have no doubt about them.

Free translation 意译

　　　Untitled
　　　　Yikong (Zen Monk Leaning-Against-Emptiness, from Tang Dynasty)
For thirty years, being a man trying to lead a swordsman’s vain life,
As fallen leaves have grown back on twigs for several rounds.
Of all the encounters, the first glimpse of peach flowers
Is undoubtedly the one and only of our meeting.

Back-translation into Contemporary Chinese当代汉语回译

　　　　无题
三十年了，总想过着剑客的虚荣生活，
而落叶已数次重又长在树枝上。
所有的邂逅中，第一眼瞥见桃花
无疑是我们惟一的相遇。