卜算子
缺月挂疏桐
漏斷人初靜
誰見幽人獨往來
缥缈孤鴻影
驚起卻回頭
有恨無人省
揀盡寒枝不肯棲
寂寞沙洲冷
Written at Dinghui Abbey Su Shi (1037-1101) 江紹倫譯
Tune: Song of Divination
On a dwindling plain tree hangs a waning moon
The water clock stops the man remains still
Who sees a hermit pacing alone
Like an appearing and disappearing swan shadow
Startled he turns his head
With grief none would know
Scaling all trees he won’t perch on a branch dead
Preferring a lone cold sandbank instead
東風未肯入東門
走馬還尋去歲村
人似秋鸿来有信
事如春夢了無痕
江城白酒三杯釅
野老蒼顏一笑溫
已約年年為此會
故人不用賦招魂
Looking for Spring Su Shi (1037-1101) 江紹倫譯
East winds are unwilling to enter the East Gate
Looking for a familiar village I ride in haste
Like autumn swan old friends are punctual going on date
In spring dreams past events are gone leaving no trace
Three cups of wine in Riverside Town may keep me late
An old man’s warm smile urges me to hurry as I may
As we have agreed to meet every year on this day
Why my dear friend must I be so earnest to see your face
怕愁貪睡獨開遲
自恐冰容不入時
故作小红桃杏色
尚餘孤瘦雪霜姿
寒心未肯随春態
酒暈無端上玉肌
詩老不知梅格在
更看綠葉與青枝
To Pink Mume Su Shi (1037-1101) 江紹倫譯
You blossom late fearing grief and loving to sleep
With an icy face you are concerned for being out of date
With touches of apricot and peach rouges your face so neat
In frost or snow your lonely grace is ever on vivid display
Your heart calm and cool you will not flirt like spring
Your dimple appears naturally to enliven your jade-like face
Poets know not how to fully describe your amazing grace
They say your beauty is seen amid branches and green foliage
客路青山外
行舟綠水前
潮平两岸闊
風正一帆懸
海日生殘夜
江春入舊年
鄉書何處達
歸雁洛陽邊
Passing by North Mountain Wang Wan (693-751) 江紹倫譯
Journeying by the green mountainside
My boat glides on the blue water so fine
At full tide the banks are pushed wide
Send by gentle breezes a sail hangs high
Washed in sunrise the sea leaves night behind
The river brings in spring to rid off the year old
Who will carry my letter home without delay
The wild geese are idling here in the Capital
Tr. YK Chan 陈耀国譯
For introduction, see “La Primavera” Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Listen to Vivaldi’s Summer Concerto of the Four Seasons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ut9vPKq6HE
With sand animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go7wlUOC5dg&feature=related
祝英台令
寶釵分 桃葉渡 煙柳暗南浦
怕上層樓 十日九風雨
斷腸片片飛紅 都無人管
倩誰喚流鶯聲住
鬢邊覷 試把花卜心期 才簪又重數
羅帳燈昏 嗚咽夢中語
是他春帶愁來 春歸何處 卻不解將愁歸去
Late Spring Xin Qi Ji (1140-1207) 江紹倫譯
Tune: Hearing Zhu Ying Tai
Ever since our parting
As I pass the dock at Peach Leaf
Willows drawn the south bank with grief
I dread going upstairs again
Winds and rains are seen nine days out of ten
Red petals fall one by one so heart-rending
Who would care for my feeling
Who could ask the oriels to still their singing
Steeling a glance at my hairpin on head
I count the gathered petals your returning date I anticipate
Putting the hairpin back I again count and anticipate
In my curtained bed I see but the flickering lamplight
I choke even in dreams calling you as you take flight
Could grief be so much a part of spring I say
Whither goes spring
Why it would’nt carry grief away
Tr. YK Chan 陳耀國譯 for Father’s Day
Comments: This seemingly simple Italian art song is in the common syllabus of a voice student. Pavarotti’s interpretation (link below) is very touching. His anguished lamentation of misunderstood love, be it filial or romatic, is aptly expressed. He has impeccably clear articulation and diction. Perfetto e’ bravissimo!
Pavarotti’s clip also include his rendition of Gluck’s Che faro’ senza Euridice (see http://blog.wykontario.org/?p=5718). It’s a pleasant surprise as the aria is usually sung by a mezzo or countertenor nowadays. He applies similar techniques in its interpretation.
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB0wc0S2Q3k&feature=related
(Including his rendition of “Che faro’ senza Euridice?”)
By Fritz Wunderlich (tenor) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXkY9atjQ24 (sung in F major);
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVhSr9ds204&feature=fvw (sung in G major)
By Marian Anderson (contralto) http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/artsong/sng/Caro%20Mio%20Ben.mp3
By Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hlk8EDA02M&feature=related
By Ada Crossley (contralto) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVFACAzFoVo
Marian Anderson, "Caro mio ben!"
________________________
送鮑浩然之浙東
水是眼波橫
山是眉峰聚
欲問行人去那邊
眉眼盈盈處
才始送春歸
又送君歸去
若到江南趕上春
千萬和春住
To a Departing Friend (Song) Wang Guan 江紹倫譯
Tune: Song of Divination
Rippling waters stretch to beam the eyes
On arched brows mountains gather high
Should you ask wayfarers whither bound
Just search where beaming eyes are found
I’ve just seen spring depart
And now you and I must part
Down south if you should catch a spring day
Be sure to keep her with you always
金樽清酒鬥十千 玉盤珍羞直萬錢
停杯投箸不能食 撥劍四顧心茫然
欲渡黃河冰塞川 將登太行雪滿山
閑來垂釣碧溪上 忽複乘舟夢日邊
行路難 行路難 多歧路 今安在
長風破浪會有時 直掛雲帆濟滄海
The Road of Life is Difficult Li Bai (701-762) 江紹倫譯
Golden bottled wine costs then thousand coins a barrel
Choice food in jade plates the same price to follow
Drinks ceased I raise my chopsticks in vain
My sword drawn I look around only to feel empty pain
I wish to cross the Yellow River it is frozen
I wish to climb Mount Taihang it is full of snow
In idle I enjoy time fishing by the blue stream
And dream of sailing a boat into the sunny horizon
The road of life is difficult
The road of life is difficult
Full of diverting paths
Whither should I go
The time will come whence I ride strong winds to cleave the waves
I will hoist my sail tall to triumph in the high sea.
| 九歌·湘夫人 | 屈原 | Madam Xiang River Qu Yuan 江紹倫譯 |
| 帝子降兮北渚 | 目眇眇兮愁予 | On Northern Islet you descend my dear |
| Burdened by grief my eyes can’t see clear | ||
| 袅袅兮秋風 | 洞庭波兮木葉下 | Ceaselessly blow the autumn breezes |
| On the Dongting Lake flow fallen leaves | ||
| 登白薠兮騁望 | 與佳期兮夕張 | Standing on White Clover I gaze afar |
| Awaiting to meet you at twilight hour | ||
| 鳥何萃兮蘋中 | 罾何爲兮木上 | Could birds freely glide amid dense reeds |
| What can nets do on top of the trees | ||
| 沅有茝兮澧有蘭 | 思公子兮未敢言 | In green creeks orchids thrive so meek |
| I pine for thee daring not to speak | ||
| 荒忽兮遠望 | 觀流水兮潺湲 | Looking yonder I reach for my love of old |
| I see but ripples gently flow | ||
| 麋何食兮庭中 | 蛟何爲兮水裔 | How could deers find food in closed doors |
| What could dragons do when grounded ashore | ||
| 朝馳餘馬兮江臯 | 夕濟兮西澨 | Along riverside at dawn I hurry my steed |
| At dusk to ride the rapids I heed | ||
| 聞佳人兮召予 | 将騰駕兮偕逝 | Answering your call I’ve come today |
| Together we will ride on clouds away | ||
| 築室兮水中 | 葺之兮荷蓋 | In midstream a palace shall be made |
| Its roof shall have lotus weaves for shade | ||
| 蓀壁兮紫壇 | 播芳椒兮成堂 | Up its purple terrace thymes will wall |
| Fragrant pepper plants will spread the hall | ||
| 桂棟兮蘭橑 | 辛夷楣兮藥房 | Cassia pillars will stand like orchids upright |
| And rooms smell herbal fragrance of clover white | ||
| 罔薜荔兮爲帷 | 擗蕙櫋兮既張 | I shall make ivy weaves for window screens |
| And cover the floor with leaves so green | ||
| 白玉兮爲鎮 | 疏石蘭兮爲芳 | Cornerstones shall be made of white jade |
| In the air orchid fragrance shall never fade | ||
| 芷葺兮荷屋 | 繚之兮杜衡 | In lotus houses let vetch be found |
| With fresh azaleas blooming year round | ||
| 合百草兮實庭 | 建芳馨兮庑門 | Let the courtyard be filled with herbs of various kinds |
| And corridors be frequented by perfumed minds | ||
| 女嶷繽兮并迎 | 靈之來兮如雲 | I will invite the gods of mounts nine measures high |
| To set my soul free aboard clouds in the sky | ||
| 揖餘袂兮江中 | 遺餘褋兮澧浦 | I jump into the water awake from my dream |
| With clothes sleeves and all in the stream | ||
| 搴汀洲兮杜若 | 將以遺褋兮遠者 | I pick sweet flowers from the landing in the bay |
| To comfort whoever living far away | ||
| 時不可兮驟得 | 聊逍遙兮容與 | Time lost can’t be regained freely |
| Let my heart roam intensely feeling for thee |
