【短歌行】其一 東漢 • 曹操
對酒當歌， 人生幾何？
譬如朝露， 去日苦多。
慨當以慷， 憂思難忘。
何以解憂？ 唯有杜康。
.....
DUAN GE XING: "Short Song Walk"
-- by CAO CAO (155-220)-
- Translated by Frank C Yue
O Let's all drink and sing our song --
In your life could you live years long?
Just like the transient morning dew,
Gone my sufferings, but more are due.
I will live my life to the full
Though worries are around me, too.
What can one do to be care-free?
Only answer -- Come, drink with me!
.....
杜康 : 古时 杜康 造酒
【短歌行】其一 東漢 · 曹操
對酒當歌， 人生幾何？
譬如朝露， 去日苦多。
慨當以慷， 憂思難忘。
何以解憂？ 唯有杜康。
青青子衿，悠悠我心。
但為君故，沈吟至今。
呦呦鹿鳴，食野之苹。
我有嘉賓，鼓瑟吹笙。
明明如月，何時可輟？
憂從中來，不可斷絕。
越陌度阡，枉用相存。
契闊談讌，心念舊恩。
月明星稀，烏鵲南飛，
繞樹三匝，何枝可依？
山不厭高，海不厭深。
周公吐哺，天下歸心。
Hi Frank, glad to read your translation. Your translation was very easy to understand in its expression. Can I use it in a textbook that I am writing and attributed to you?
ReplyDeleteI am puzzled with the meaning of 譬如朝露，去日苦多。(朝露 is short, then 去日苦多?) I try to read it as "對酒當歌， 人生幾何？譬如朝露". stop then, "去日苦多, 慨當以慷， 憂思難忘。" stop then, 何以解憂？ 唯有杜康。Wasted days have been painfully so many...(去日苦多the author was very anxious to accomplish his ambition....) I am not sure reading this way make any sense at all??
ReplyDeleteHello, I am a university student who is studying translation in Hong Kong. The meaning of 朝露 is use as a metaphor, to compare with what we call "人生" in Chinese. The upper paragraph bring up a question which is how often can we drink happily in our life, and 譬如朝露，去日苦多 this paragraph is just like the answer--life is short like a morning dew, plus, CaoCao had suffered in this short life. So 譬如朝露，去日苦多 must be a complete sentence. What is more, it is the correct way to read a Yuefu poem as there must be a same pattern of words in every single paragraph.
DeleteSir/Miss,who are you? Can you give me more information about yourself,please.
ReplyDeleteI really like your translated version! please give me an oppurtunity to contact with you. I really want to know your tips during solving some challenges in Eglish translation of Chinese poems . I am a postgraduate students in Yunnan Province. My major is English Translation.
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