Category: Poems by – 柳永 (987-1053)

Tune: Bells Drowned By Rain                      江紹倫譯

寒蟬凄切        Cicadas tuned dreary in the cold
對長亭晚        We sojourned at the pavilion till the evening is old
驟雨初歇        Showers over

都門帳飲無緒      Under the city gate we drank in dull mood
留戀處                 Lingering
蘭舟催發             Your departing boat tooted 

執手相看淚眼     Hand in hand we gazed at each other in teary eyes
竟無語凝噎         With congealed sobs words come not to say good bye

念去去                    Ahead as you go
千里烟波                A thousand li of waves and mist lie
暮靄沉沉楚天闊     Clouds are heavy in the boundless southern sky

多情自古傷離别   Those deep in love must suffer parting sorrow since days of old
更那堪冷落清秋節 Especially parting in the autumn cold

今宵酒醒何處       Where will I be after tonight when becoming sober
楊柳岸                  On banks of willows
曉風残月              Moon resigning in day-break breezes

此去經年                   With you away for years
應是良辰好景虚設     All bright days and pleasing scenery here will exist in vain

便縱有千種風情       If I should ever coquette in a thousand ways
更與何人說             To whom should I show my feelings anyway

佇倚危樓風细细
望極春愁
黯黯生天際
草色烟光残照里
無言誰會憑闌意。

擬把疏狂圖一醉
對酒當歌
强樂還無味

衣带漸寬終不悔
為伊消得人憔悴

Tune: Phoenix Perch on Parasol                   江紹倫譯

I stand alone on the balcony in light breeze
To confront spring sorrows
Parting grief loom in the horizon a dark gleam
At sunset smoke rises where grass is green
With no word to tell who would know why on these rails I lean

‘Tis my intend to dare getting drunk in a wink
For cups of wine I sing
Strained mirth will relief not bring

I regret not my waist-band loosens as it must be
Languish I accept when it comes to loving thee

對瀟瀟暮雨灑江天  一番洗清秋

漸霜風凄緊        關河冷落    殘照當樓

是處紅衰綠減      苒苒物華休  惟有長江水  無語東流

不忍登高臨遠      望故鄉渺邈  歸思難收

嘆年來蹤跡        何事苦淹留

想佳人  妝樓顒望  誤幾回  天際識歸舟

爭知我  倚闌干處  正恁凝愁

Tune: Eight Beats From Ganzhou Music    江紹倫譯

Against the incessant late showers river and sky stand
Awashed instantly autumn looks new again

Gradually fierce gales blow dreary and chill
Few souls stay by the hill or rill
In my lonely lodge only fading sunlight remains still

All vegetations green or red have withered
No more splendour
Only currents of the Yangtzi River
Flow steadily east silent as ever

I dare not ascend high to look far and around
In search of my native land lost where to be found
Homesickness abound

To my roving I sigh
Lingering here and there I know not why

My beloved must be watching from her bower with longing eyes
How oft had she mistaken a returning boat on horizon to be mine

Little would she know
I am also watching from this balcony rail
Pinning for her my heart frozen in sorrow