平林漠漠烟如织
寒山一带伤心碧
暝色入高楼
有人楼上愁
玉阶空伫立
宿鸟归飞急
何处是归程
长亭连短亭
Pu Sa Man Li Bai
Translated by Chen Yaoguo (1965 from Ottawa)
A misty forest weaves far and wide
to cold teal mountains, my heartbreaks aside.
Darkness befalls a mansion tall,
wherein melancholy is stored.
Standing alone on steps of jade,
birds flutter fast to roost ending the day.
Where is my way home?
I’d falter long and short along pausing zones.
Lyric to the tune of Heavenly Barbarian (Po Sa Man)
Translated by Yu Fong-ying (1961 from Vancouver)
An expanse of woods is latticed in mist.
Cold hills roll away; so green it aches.
Dusk is darkening the tall mansion
Where someone listlessly waits.
Vacant, she stands on the jade-tiled balcony.
The homing birds fly hurriedly by.
But which is the route back,
Post after post – some far apart, some so near?
To the Tune of Dancing Buddhists
Translated by Shiu L Kong (1953 from Hong Kong)
Over the sprawling plain teaming woods weave a misty screen
On cold mountains strays a belt of heart rending green
Where dusk masks the tower high
Alone she lets out a sad sigh
On marble steps her futile wait is nigh
Up high homing birds fly sweeping by
Where could her heart find a source of solace
She searches far and near finding not a right trace
Translated by K.C. Lee (1965 from Washington, D.C.)
As mist thickens toward dusk in chills,
green woods darken in the distant hills.
The evening scene seeps into the awareness,
of someone in the tower above still waiting.
Staring out emptily, standing on the stone floor,
flocks of returning birds add to the pining.
When o when, will the sojourner be back?
How o how, does one cover such slack!
[note:
Even though I have already pleaded lack of aptitude on this one, but 师命不敢违. So will make an attempt basing my translation on the following version of interpretation. Again trying to express the intent more than the precise wording, as in most of my translation efforts.
这是一首怀人词，写思妇盼望远方行人久候而不归的心情。开头两句为远
景。高楼极目，平林秋山，横亘天末，凝望之际，不觉日暮。“烟如织”是说
暮烟浓密，“伤心碧”是说山色转深。王建《江陵使至汝州》诗：“日暮数峰
青似染，商人说是汝州山”。薛涛《题竹郎庙》诗：“竹郎庙前多古木，夕阳
沉沉山更绿。”多言晚山之青，可以参看。这两句全从登楼望远的思妇眼中写
出，主观色彩很重，而行人之远与伫望之深，尽在其中。“暝色”两句为近景，
用一“入”字由远而近，从全景式的平林远山拉到楼头思妇的特写镜头，突出
了“有人楼上愁”的人物主体，层次井然。下片玉阶伫立仰见飞鸟，与上片登
楼远望俯眺平楚，所见不同，思念之情则一。“宿鸟归飞急”还意在反衬行人
滞留他乡，未免恋恋不返。末句计归程以卜归期。庚信《哀江南赋》有“十里
五里，长亭短亭”之语。词中着一“更”字加强了连续不断的以至无穷无尽的
印象。征途上无数长亭短亭，不但说明归程遥远，同时也说明归期无望，以与
过片“空伫立”之“空”字相应。如此日日空候，思妇的离愁也就永无穷尽了。
结句不怨行人忘返，却愁道路几千，归程迢递，不露哀怨，语甚酝藉。]