《老將行》 唐·王維
"Song of the Old General"
-- by Wang Wei (701-761)
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
This rendition is dedicated to my classmate Mr Lawrence Fung Kit-man who recently gave me a copy of the "Translated Poems in English by Du Fu".
少年十五二十時，
步行奪得胡馬騎。
射殺山中白額虎，
肯數鄴下黃鬚兒。
When at the tender age of fifteen or twenty still --
On foot, I unhorsed Tartar captor, took his horse to ride!
I shot the fierce white-forehead tiger in yonder hills;
Which other brown-whiskered young man could do these, but I?
一身轉戰三千里，
一劍曾當百萬師。
漢兵奮迅如霹靂，
虜騎崩騰畏蒺藜。
For a thousand long long miles, I fought from place to place;
M'trusted sword once held up myriad troops in time and space!
Vigorous and fast, the Han armies just like thunder --
Stomping on small spikes, most Hun horsemen fell asunder!
衛青不敗由天幸，
李廣無功緣數奇。
自從棄置便衰朽，
世事蹉跎成白首。
With luck, General Wei Qing won such battles glorious;
'Twas his fate General Li Guang was not victorious --
Once declared unfit, he became weak and dejected;
The world goes by: his hair grew white and he procrastinated.
昔時飛箭無全目，
今日垂楊生左肘。
路旁時賣故侯瓜，
門前學種先生柳。
In the past, his flying arrow pierced both the goose-eyes;
Today, out of practice, his left elbow almost dies.
By the roadside, he hawks gourds for people to buy;
Like Tao Yuan-ming, he'd planted five willows by his door.
蒼茫古木連窮巷，
寥落寒山對虛牖。
誓令疏勒出飛泉，
不似潁川空使酒。
Linking the quiet cul-de-sac's, shapeless old trees green --
Through the open door, some desolate hills can be seen.
While besieged, for water to drink he did still find a spring!
Unlike the Yingchuan guy, though drunk abuses he won't sing.
賀蘭山下陣如雲，
羽檄交馳日夕聞。
節使三河募年少，
詔書五道出將軍。
Below Helanshan, like clouds gather formations army,
Riders passing orders dash about daily and nightly.
Ministers at three provinces had great recruiting plans;
To the General from the Emperor come five commands.
試拂鐵衣如雪色，
聊持寶劍動星文。
願得燕弓射大將，
恥令越甲鳴吾君。
莫嫌舊日雲中守，
猶堪一戰取功勳！
Dusting off my old armour, it gleams just like snow;
Bored, in the starlight my glistering sword I up hold.
Grant me a special bow to fell generals of the foe!
Leading the brave Yue troops, our lost Honour let's all restore.
Forget my wasted waiting in vain, it was like dreaming --
For our Country, I'm game for the Great Battle redeeming!
From the Net : Wikipedia --
< 王維（692年－761年），一說 699 —759，字摩詰，號摩詰居士，祖籍山西祁縣，其父遷居於蒲州（今山西永濟市），遂為河東人。盛唐山水田園派詩人、畫家，外號「詩佛」，今存詩400餘首。重要詩作有「相思」、「山居秋暝」等。
王維受母親影響，精通佛學，其字「摩詰」，是取自佛教的《維摩詰經》。王維參禪悟理，學庄信道，精通詩、書、畫、音樂等，與孟浩然合稱「王孟」>
No comments:
Post a Comment