咏怀
阮籍
夜中不能寐，
起坐弹鸣琴。
薄帷鉴明月，
清风吹我襟。
孤鸿号外野，
翔鸟鸣北林。
徘徊将何见？
忧思独伤心。
Had to interpret this poem for class... (in English obviously =P)
Translation by Charles Hartman:
Poems Expressing My Feelings
Deep in the night and unable to sleep
I rise and sit to play my singing lute,
thin curtains mirror the bright moon
clear breezes tug my lapels
a single swan shrieks past the fields
hovering birds cry in the north woods,
pacing round, what is it that awaits me?
anxious thoughts alone that hurt the heart.
Translation by Greg Whincup:
Expressing My Feelings
In the night
I cannot sleep.
I rise and sit
To play the singing lute.
Through light curtains
I watch the bright moon.
A fresh breeze
Blows at my clothes.
A solitary wild goose
Calls in the wilderness.
Circling birds
Cry in the northern woods.
Fretting and pacing,
What is it I expect to see?
With sadness and grief
I am alone.
It's amazing how both poems are translated pretty similarly... And the only things that really differ are about the birds and about the curtains and the moon. But that's about it. Even the original is pretty simple except for words I cannot read =P
Ah. Poetry.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : 星语心愿 张柏芝]
[mood : tired]
[food : pumpkin cheesecake + vegetables!]