七言絕句 Seven-character-quatrain 黃鶴樓送孟浩然之廣陵 李白 A FAREWELL TO MENG HAORAN ON HIS WAY TO YANGZHOU Li Bai 故人西辭黃鶴樓，煙花三月下揚州。 孤帆遠影碧空盡，唯見長江天際流。 【百度白话文翻译】 我的老朋友孟浩然向我挥手，告别了黄鹤楼， 在这柳絮如烟、繁花似锦的三月，他去扬州远游。 友人的孤船帆影渐渐地远去，消失在碧空的尽头， 只看见长江浩浩荡荡地向着天边奔流。 Ezra Pound translated from Japanese Text, it’s understandable that he transliterates 黄鹤楼 from Japanese pronunciation, but he just leaves 故人 as if it’s a person’s name instead of ‘old friend.’ He also transliterate 故人 from Japanese pronunciation Ko-jin. In regard to 烟花三月, I feel that Witter Bynner’s translation is the best, which expresses the misty march not just catkins or willow flowers. From language point of view, Misty March is also alliteration. ------------------------- [Translation One] By Google Translate (^_^) My old friend Meng Haoran waved to me and said goodbye to Yellow Crane Tower, In this march of catkins and flowers, he went to Yangzhou for a long journey. The shadow of his lonely boat sailed away, disappearing at the end of the blue sky, I only saw the Yangtze River running wildly toward the horizon. ------------------------- [Translation Two] Separation on the River Kiang By Ezra Pound, Album Cathay Ko-jin goes west from Ko-kaku-ro, The smoke flowers are blurred over the river. His lone sail blots the far sky. And now l see only the river, The long Kiang, reaching heaven. ------------------------- [Translation Three] Found in 300 Tang Poems, The Jade Mountain, Translated by Witter Bynner. Published by Alfred A.Knopf, New York, 1920. You have left me behind, old friend, at the Yellow Crane Terrace, On your way to visit Yangzhou in the misty month of flowers (煙花三月); Your sail, a single shadow, becomes one with the blue sky, Till now I see only the river, on its way to heaven. |