曹雪芹 (1715-1763) Cao Xue Qin (1715-1763)
红楼梦 From The Saga of the Red Chamber
黛玉葬花吟 (節譯) Lin Daiyu’s Flower Burial (partial rendition)
花谢花飞花满天 Flowers fall wandering flying all over the sky
红消香断有谁怜 Red colours fade and fragrance ceases no one can deny
游丝软系飘春榭 Floating gossamers softly enter her scented bower
落絮轻沾扑绣帘 Willowdowns waltz attaching to broidery blinds
闺中女儿惜春暮 The maiden grieves in her chamber watching spring to leave
愁绪满怀无释处 She knows not where to send her heavy heart for relief
手把花锄出绣闺 Garden hoe in hand she steps out of her portal
忍踏落花来复去 Taking care not to step o’er fallen petals as she goes
……
花开易见落难寻 Flowers in bloom are seen their fallen petals difficult to find
阶前闷杀葬花人 Musing by the steps her heart aches as she performs the burials
独倚花锄泪暗洒 Tears silently roll witnessed only by the garden hoe
洒上空枝见血痕 They leave blood stains on naked branches behold
……
杜鹃无语正黄昏 At night fall cuckoos are mute however they like to sing
荷锄归去掩重门 The maiden returns home to keep her doors in bolt
青灯照壁人初睡 As she sleeps lonely accompanied by a dim light
冷雨敲窗被未温 Her quilt feels chilly as cold rain plashes the window
……
愿奴胁下生双翼 How she wished to fly on wings this very night
随花飞到天尽头 Following wandering petals to the end of sky
天尽头 The end of sky
何处有香丘 Where could she find a fitting fragrant burial site
未若锦囊收艳骨 Why not fill a silk bag with petals so fair
一抔净土掩风流 And bury them under earth with their romantic affairs
质本洁来还洁去 In purity they came and in purity they go
强于污淖陷渠沟 They must not be contaminated in dirty gutter flows
尔今死去侬收葬 Oh flower you are buried today upon your demise
未卜侬身何日丧 Who could foretell the time that I too shall die
侬今葬花人笑痴 People laugh at my folly in burying fallen flowers
他年葬侬知是谁 I know not who will perform same come my final hour
试看春残花渐落 Observe how flowers whither when spring is due to go
便是红颜老死时 All beautiful beings will surely die when old
一朝春尽红颜老 Once spring ends and young life turns old
花落人亡两不知 Gone are both flowers and maiden with no one to note