辛苦遭逢起一经，干戈寥落四周星。
山河破碎风飘絮，身世浮沉雨打萍。
惶恐滩头说惶恐，零丁洋里叹零丁。
人生自古谁无死? 留取丹心照汗青。
Crossing Lingding Sea Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283)
Tr. YK Chan 陈耀国译:
Hardship endurance began with my scripture exam,
Sporadic struggles lasting over four decades thence.
A kingdom vanquished, in the wind catkins fly.
Like duckweeds struck by heavy rain I fall and rise.
Retreat from Panic Beach tells a panicky action,
On Lingding Sea I lament my lone incarceration.
Since the beginning of time who can ever not die?
My unwavering devotion shall in history shine!
____________________________________________________
References:
Thanks for another version. This is what translation is all about.
Please check it under Poems by 文天祥 .
AH
Thanks, Mr. Ho. I forgot that this poem has been translated by SL Kong. I’ve moved my version under “Poems by Wen” to be juxtaposed with his.
The references I included helped me in the translation.
Compared with Lu Xun’s patriotic poem written as a caption to his youthful portrait photo, both poets in different eras vowed similar allegiance to the Chinese nation. Wen had been well-weathered; Lu had just returned from Japan to China in his early twenties.
Note that the brush-written poem in the left-hand-side illustration has slightly different wording in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sentences.
YK
may i submit another rendition, please.
【過零丁洋】 南宋·文天祥
辛苦遭逢起一經 ， 干戈寥落四周星。
山河破碎風飄絮 ， 身世浮沉雨打萍。
惶恐灘頭說惶恐 ， 零丁洋裡嘆零丁。
人生自古誰無死 ， 留取丹心照汗青。
Crossing Lingding Yang (Lonely Ocean) Wen Tianzhang
(1236－1283: Southern Song Dynasty)
Facing tumult’ous times the Book of Change I divine by;
Our few troops fought for four long years under the starry sky.
Our homeland’s shattered, scattered in the wind like puffy seeds;
My life is like the floating plant, hit by rains (till it bleeds).
Fleeing down the Beach of Fear, fear on our faces had shown;
Sailing across the Lonely Ocean, we are so alone!
(Tell me, my friend –) Since time began, to die who can decline?
O Through history books in glory, let our crimson hearts shine!
(tr. frank c w yue)