Sunday 17 March 2013

李白 朝辭白帝彩雲間,千里江陵一日還。 In the midst of clouds all glowing, Baidi, I left you at dawn,

【下江陵】    李白                    
朝辭白帝彩雲間,    千里江陵一日還。

兩岸猿聲啼不住,    輕舟已過萬重山。
 

DOWN RIVER TO JIANGLING!  
-- by Li Bai (701-762)
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
 
In the midst of clouds all glowing, Baidi, I left you at dawn,
By evening I'll be home at Jiangling, a thousand miles I've gone.
While on cliffs of the Yangtze Gorges, gibbons ceaselessly cry,
Ten thousand folds of mountains, my skiff has slipped them by!

2 comments:

  1. Well done! The best I have read.

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  2. Baidi, Jiangling, most likely do not mean much for most English readers.
    I am thinking "mountain town, & river castle" may be a little bit better?

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