Cao Cao Tomb

神龜雖壽    猶有竟時
騰蛇乘霧    終為土灰
老驥伏櫪    志在千里
烈士暮年    壯心不已

Tortoise Longevity    (selected part) Cao Cao                      江紹倫譯

Sacred tortoise live their lives long
They will not go against nature but die along
Free spirit dragons rise above the clouds to glide
In death they will disintegrate and return to earth to hide

An old horse takes its respite in its stall
Its determination remains to gallop speedily and tall
A brave man knows his years in decline
His aspirations are still bold and high

The Indomitable Soul         tr. by Father John Turner, S.J. (1909-1971)

Though old be the wise tortoise, yet
Die in the end he must:
And the mist-scaling dragonet,
He too shall come to dust.

Yet ancient steeds in stall that lie
Dream of the leagues they ran:
And heroes, though their doom is nigh
As ever play the man.

結髮為夫妻  恩愛兩不疑
歡娛在今夕  燕婉及良時
征夫懷往路  起視應何其
參長皆已沒  去去從此辭
行役在戰場  相見未有期
握手一長嘆  淚為生別滋
努力愛春華  莫忘歡樂時
生當復來歸  死當長相思

Adieu Dear Wife                    Su Wu ( Han Dynasty) 江紹倫譯

We vowed to be husband and wife for life
Our loving relationship is true without guess
Let’s love one another even more tonight
Let’s make the best use of time for ecstasy

To embark on the far off journey I have no fancy
I get up from bed to check the hour of night frequently
Stars in the dark night are giving way for dawn to be
And I must leave home now and part with thee

From this moment on my life will be in battle ground
We must believe firmly our reunion will come around
Holding your hand I could but sigh and again sigh
Letting go I pledge to keep our love in mind

Let’s do our best to keep alive our love for spring
Let’s remember the happy times our togetherness brings
Whence alive and sound I’ll be with you certainly
Even in death our soul be one eternally

東臨碣石    以觀滄海
水何澹澹    山島竦峙
樹木叢生    百草豐茂
秋風蕭瑟    洪波涌起
日月之行    若出其中
星漢燦爛    若出其裏
幸甚至哉    歌以詠志

The Sea                      Cao Cao (155-220)                             江紹倫譯

From the Rocky Hill on eastern shore
I stand to watch the sea in awe
How the waves rock the beaches boisterous
How island mountains stand bold and marvellous

Trees of varying sizes grow competing to reach the sun
A hundred species of grass thrive green as one
Whence the autumn wind blows bleak
Billows surge to show thunderous feats

The sun and moon revolve in good time daily
They rise and fall as if from the deep
Stars from the Milky Way twinkle ever so gaily
They always return to sea to sleep

How grateful I feel to be here
I sing this song for memory to adhere

清晨入古寺  初日照高林
曲徑通幽處  禪房花木深

山光悅鳥性  潭影空人心
萬籟此俱寂  惟餘鐘磬音

A Chan Hall Behind a Temple Ruin         tr By S L Kong
 
I arrive at this ancient temple at first light
The morning sun shines into the forest its lofty trees bright
A bamboo- lined path leads me to a deep serene retreat
The Chan Hall is hidden in shrubs and flowers sweet

Birds chase one another in the mountain aura displaying pleasure
In the bottom of the deep mountain pool my mind finds solitude and leisure
‘Tis so quiet I find no trace of heavenly sounds here
Only temple bells toll their peel linger in the air

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庭院深深深幾許，楊柳堆煙，簾幕無重數。
玉勒雕鞍遊冶處，樓高不見章台路。

雨橫風狂三月暮，門掩黃昏，無計留春住。
淚眼問花花不語，亂紅飛過秋千去。

Tune: Butterfly linger flower                      tr By S L Kong

Deep deep the mansion and courtyards so deep
Veiled by countless willows waving smoke-like screens
Where her master is roaming on jade saddles and bridles she knows not
Standing in her balcony she seeks his whereabouts seeing naught

Fury gusts and pours rage the late spring dusk
She closed all windows and doors to shut out the evening
But spring stays in her feelings like a vane
Tearfully she asks flowers what to do flowers answer not
Only a flurry of pink petals fly her by past the swing

君不見
黃河之水天上來，奔流到海不復回？
君不見
高堂明鏡悲白髮，朝如青絲暮成雪？
人生得意須盡歡，莫使金樽空對月。
天生我材必有用，千金散盡還復來。
烹羊宰牛且為樂，會須一飲三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，
將進酒，君莫停。
與君歌一曲，請君為我側耳聽。
鐘鼓饌玉不足貴，但願長醉不願醒。
古來聖賢皆寂寞，惟有飲者留其名。
陳王昔時宴平樂，鬥酒十千恣歡謔。
主人何為言少錢，逕須沽取對君酌。
五花馬，千金裘，
呼兒將出換美酒，與爾同銷萬古愁！

Let’s Drink                                         tr By SL Kong

Behold Yellow River waters originate high from the sky
Torrents rush to sea will n’ver return low or high
Behold grandparents before the mirror watch their grey hair sadly
Silky-black locks at dawn turned white at dusk so mercilessly
When in success we should enjoy life in great delight
And n’ver leave golden goblets empty in a moonlit night
Nature has endowed me with talents to usefully apply
Gold spent in thousands will be regained out right
Cows and sheep finely cooked will be savoured merrily
And mellow brews will be shared a thousand round in glee

Dear friends and students
Replenish your cups
Do not interrupt
Let’s together sing
Let your ears be filled with soothing ring
Bells and drums are unimportant not even costly dishes
I prefer to get drunk any time as I wish
Most scholars and saints are not recorded in historic books
Only wine lovers who share and cheer are remembered in documentary notes
Being host one should spare not any money
But to offer one’s best wines for everybody to share generously
Stately stallions
Costly furs
My son will take them to exchange for the finest brews money can buy
Let’s drink together until we are high
And leave any lingering worry behind

結盧在人境 而無車馬喧
問君何能爾 心遠地自偏

採菊東籬下 悠然見南山
山氣日夕佳 飛鳥相與還

此中有真意 欲辨已忘言

Drink               Tao Qian (365–427)  tr By S L Kong

Amid man’s haunted environs I have my chalet
Where noises of hoofs and wheels are kept away
Asked how such a place could achieve serenity
A detached mind can create peace naturally

At dawn I pick daisies by the fence at will
And watch the beauty of the southern hill
Where the mountain air so fresh is here to stay
Birds leave and return to their nests day after day

Herein rests the true meaning of life
If need be told words have escaped from my mind

Drinking Wine

I made my home amidst this human bustle,
Yet I hear no clamour from the carts and horses.
My friend, you ask me how this can be so?
A distant heart will tend towards like places.
From the eastern hedge, I pluck chrysanthemum flowers,
And idly look towards the southern hills.
The mountain air is beautiful day and night,
The birds fly back to roost with one another.
I know that this must have some deeper meaning,
I try to explain, but cannot find the words.