Li Bai: loose translations
| En
| Zh+literal
| En+Zh
Previous
| Next
1. Some people pay more for a bottle of wine than I can spend for a year on rice. Such is the life of the traveling poet, plenty of freedom, but not much means. I’d like to cross the Yellow River, but it’s frozen and not one will take me. If I turn the other way, all the crossroads lead to dirty roads through boring fields. So I wait and dream of distant islands; I dream my sail is blown full by the wind. 2. It’s hard to make this journey alone. There are no mileposts in the blue sky. They chased me away because it’s hard for me to put up with bravado, with people stealing to bet on cock fights, with anger and stupidity combined. People belittle whoever’s better than them. Where is the emperor now who bowed low and swept the terrace to welcome wise and talented advisors? He is buried and there’s nobody like him now. Now there’s no wisdom, no strategy, so the journey is hard, and nobody helps. 3. If I’m looking for a village that accepts wisdom and virtue, I better keep moving. One can risk giardia from water in Yingchuan and being poisoned from eating ferns in Shjou, but the perils of travel pale in comparison to facing hypocrisy and narrow mindlessness. What good does it do to achieve success? A glass of wine is worth more than fame.
其一 金樽清酒斗十千,玉盘珍羞直万钱。 停杯投箸不能食,拔剑四顾心茫然。 欲渡黄河冰塞川,将登太行雪满山。 闲来垂钓碧溪上,忽复乘舟梦日边。 行路难!行路难!多歧路,今安在? 长风破浪会有时,直挂云帆济沧海。 其二 大道如青天,我独不得出。 羞逐长安社中儿,赤鸡白狗赌梨栗。 弹剑作歌奏苦声,曳裾王门不称情。 淮阴市井笑韩信,汉朝公卿忌贾生。 君不见昔时燕家重郭隗,拥篲折节无嫌猜。 剧辛乐毅感恩分,输肝剖胆效英才。 昭王白骨萦蔓草,谁人更扫黄金台? 行路难,归去来! 其三 有耳莫洗颍川水,有口莫食首阳蕨。 含光混世贵无名,何用孤高比云月? 吾观自古贤达人,功成不退皆殒身。 子胥既弃吴江上,屈原终投湘水滨。 陆机雄才岂自保?李斯税驾苦不早。 华亭鹤唳讵可闻?上蔡苍鹰何足道? 君不见吴中张翰称达生,秋风忽忆江东行。 且乐生前一杯酒,何须身后千载名?