《葉劍英(1897-1986) 詩詞選》江紹倫英譯

Ye Jiang Ying(1897-1986) selected poems》江紹倫英譯

油岩(1915)》《Written on Oil Cliff(1915)
放眼高歌气吐虹  My will a rainbow I sing my aspirations high
也曾拔剑角群雄  Before this I had followed revolutionary men with pride
我来无限兴亡感  Here I study to understand the rise and fall in history
慰祝苍生乐大同  I will work with my people towards universal equality

Note: This poem was written when the poet first entered university in his hometown. He was 18 years old.

《雨夜銜杯(1921)》《Drinking in a Raining Night(1921)
雨撼高楼醉不成  Up the parlor in heavy rain ‘tis time to drink high
纵横豪气酒边生  Spirit warmed by wine on history and the four seas we opine
会将剑匣拼孤注  For revolution I devote with my sword drawn
又向毫锥汩绮情  To poetry I write with my brush on and on
入世始知身泛泛  Entering society I find myself but ordinary
结交俦侣尚平平  Friends engaged relations are not extraordinary
愁多无计寻排遣  In agitation I know not how to pass time
澎湃声传鼓二更  The roaring waves keep me awake till before midnight

刘伯承同志五拾寿祝(1942)
Wishing Comrade Liu Bai Cheng a Happy Fiftieth Birthday(1942)
细柳营中寂不哗  In the disciplined camps calm and alone
枪垣炮堵即吾家  Gun shots and cannon fire mark our home
将军五十人称健  A general vital at fifty years old
新得倭酋不自夸  You recently defeated the dwarfs deeds untold

和朱德同志(1943)》《In Harmony with a Poem by Comrade Zhude(1943)
将军莫唱大刀头  Did you sing the ancient victory song in echo
淪陷山河寸寸收  Reclaiming every inch of our lost hills and rills
勒马太行烟雾外  I stop my steed outside the foggy Mt. Taiheng
勒马太行烟雾外  Wishing to sing with you the poetic tune of Tongchou

(1954)》《At Qing Dao(1954)
小楼明一角  In a corner a small house stands upright
深隐绿丛中  Amid green trees and shrubs it hides
海阔天如盖  The sky a cover for the sea so wide
山遥岛似熊  Watching distant mountains this island is bear like
轻波垂钓叟  Gentle waves caress an old man holding a fishing line
旭日弄潮童  At dawn he is a child playing with the tide
忽忆刘亭长  The ancient Han Emperor’s legacy comes to mind
苍凉唱大风  How he sang the victory song mighty and high

游甘(1956)》《Visiting Gansu(1956)
铜铁煤油遍走廊  The Western Corridor full of coal oil copper and iron ores
当年人道是沙场  In history the ancients fought here in many wars
伫看工厂林立日  I stop to watch a forest of factories mirroring the sun
戈壁荫成瓜果乡  The shaded desert is home for melons and vegetables

新彊(1956)》《Visiting Xinjiang(1956)
老子青牛去不还  On his oxen Laozi gone from here to wherever
而今钻探满天山  In Tienshen today excavations in numbers ever
自从铁道通西域  Whence the railway arrive at this territory
百万青年唱出关  Millions of youths come for new opportunities

长江大桥(1957)》《The Yangzi River Bridge (1957)
龟蛇对峙  Tortoise and Snake hills stand guard in opposite sides
千年浊浪排空起  A thousand years of muddy waves to midair fly
折戟沉沙  Between crossing spears and sinking sands
英雄淘尽  How many heroes had perished hence
都无觅处  Not known
天公叹服  Celestial admirers sing praises in heaven
地上神仙  Down on earth immortals echo incessant
长桥飞架  A long bridge of flying metals
南北东西无阻  Spanning to join together all four directions

遥想银河  My mind wings to the Galaxy afar
斜窥牛女  Searching to find the Weaver and her lover
端的乍惊还妒  Such wonders and envy equal any weaver
江心独立  At mid-river I stand alone
看巫峡巫山  To see the Wu Gorge cutting open the Wu Mountain
头吴尾楚  Head and tail of ancient nations
任我从容指顾  All in my finger tips
流水不关情  The river flows abate any feelings
让它滚滚东去  It rolls east in unsettling torrents

《由伯力返北京(1958)》《Back to Beijing from a Western Trip (1958)
天空海阔驾机回  On the plane home high above the seas
万里山河入酒杯  Thousands of miles of motherland seen in a cup of tea
指点长城关竞海  On my finger tips the Great Wall extends sea to sea
思归人亦笑颜开  In broad grins this returning son is so happy

访印度回国途(1958)》《On Way Home from Visiting India (1958)
玄奘西游十七年  Monk Xuan Zhuang toured the west for years seventeen
访团往复四旬天  Our visit through this ancient country a month and days ten
问君取得何经典  Ask what sacred wisdom we have gained
友谊乡情纸满篇  Friendship and neighborly good wishes on paper seen

清明由镇江过扬(1958)》《Passing Yangzhou at Qing Ming (1958)
闲踱街头找古书  I linger through the streets to find old books
肩摩踵接笑睇余  Rubbing shoulders in crowds on papers we look
都称老板马家到  People say the shopkeepers are connoisseurs of words
我问君曾看戏无  I ask if they have watched dramas on global stages

菩萨蛮: 华沙公园怀肖邦(1958)
Tune: Buddhist Dancer_Pinning for Chopin in Warsaw(1958)
金黄秋色华沙好  Warsaw looks beautiful autumn colors in gold
肖邦作曲巴黎老  Chopin composed music in Paris till old
风柳扫残阳  In winds waving willows sweep away the dying sun
搔头念故乡  I scratch my head to remember my home much fun
春来花竞秀  Flowers in spring compete to bloom in their finest
遗曲人争奏  People compete to recite Chopin’s music in their best
莫叹少知音  Sigh not for the dearth of real admirers
伯牙悔碎琴  Maestro Baiya regretted for his broken zither

蝶恋花: 海南岛(1959)》《Tune: Butterfly Loves Flower_Hainan Island(1959)

南海浮珠历万古  A land afloat in the South Sea eon years old
阅尽沧桑  All ups and downs seen through
挺作南天柱  Standing solid in support for the south sky
五指峰高人宿露  On top of the Five Finger Peaks night campers arrive
当年割据红区固  To secure the red district rule in years gone by

旧是东坡留句处  Sushi wrote great poems here long ago
椰树凌霄  Palm trees stand tall as sky
扫尽长空雾  Sweeping clean the sky no fog could hide
海角天涯今异古  At Land’s End edging the ocean today not as old
丰收处处秧歌舞  Celebrating good harvest people dance in folk songs colorful

《鹿回頭(1959)》《At Deer Turn-head Point(1959)
海滩拾贝趁朝霞  The best time to gather shells on the beach is at dawn
风卷浪堆沙  Winds stir up waves carrying sands on
境到登山临水  Up the hill top by the water edge I climb
伊人望望天涯  To the far horizon my eyes and mind find
椰浆消渴  Coconut milks quenches thirst fine
咖啡醒目  A drink of coffee eyes bright
南岛韶华  South-sea Island times merrily go by
撷得一枝红豆  A red bean twig on my hand
思量寄与谁家  I ponder to whom it be sent

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