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Translations of Chinese Poetry

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2/13/2010 2:23:03   
Shreder
Member

So I've decided to try something different: I'm going to take well known Chinese poems and (attempts to) translate them into English for my fellow L&Lers to read. Understand, of course, that these translations won't be perfect, and a good deal of the "poeticness" may be lost in translation. Note that I will also be posting the original poems, although these will be in pinyin and not in characters because my computer doesn't really like characters. Any comments can go here.



Anyways to start off, here is a translation of the Chinese poem "Goose" (e, e, e)

Goose

Goose, goose, goose,
You stretch your slender neck to Heav’n and sing,
Your feathers white against the dark green lake.
Your thrusting feet bring forth gentle wavelets.



And here is the original, in pinyin:

E,e,e,
Qu xiang xiang tian ge.
Bai mao fu lu shui.
Hong zhang bo qing bo.

Just a bit of background info: This is one of the most famous poems in China. You would be hard pressed to find a child who has not learned it. It was written by famous Chinese poet Li Bai sometime during the 700s. Here is the Wikipedia page on Li Bai, if anyone would like to read more about him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Bai

< Message edited by shreder110 -- 2/13/2010 2:36:59 >
DF MQ  Post #: 1
2/21/2010 8:16:29   
Shreder
Member

And here's another update.

Deng Guanque Lou

The setting sun rests on the mountain tops
The Yellow River flows into the sea
To keep your fast departing ship in sight
I must ascend another winding stair.



Here is the original:

Deng Guanque Lou

Bai ri yi shan jin
Huang He ru hai liu
Yu qiong qian li mu
Geng shang yi ceng lou



Perhaps a word of explanation. This poem was written by a Chinese poet named Wang Zhi Huan, who lived during the Tang Dynasty. He wrote this poem for a friend who was leaving on a boat.
Beforehand the two had been in a pagoda drinking together and a goodbye party, and then the one left, and the other (Wang Zhi Huan) wrote this poem about watching him sail away. People who can actually read pinyin will noticed I slightly changed the third line, but I feel that this makes the translated version a little smoother.

< Message edited by shreder110 -- 2/21/2010 8:17:44 >
DF MQ  Post #: 2
11/3/2010 21:08:06   
Shreder
Member

So I finally stopped being lazy and translated another poem... >.>

Xun Yin Zhe Bu Yu

I paused beneath the pine to ask the boy.
“My master’s gath’ring herbs,” he did reply.
“He’s somewhere on this mountain, this I know;
But through these clouds I cannot him espy.”



And the original:

Xun Yin Zhe Bu Yu

Song xia wen tong zi,
Yan shi cai yao qu.
Zhi zai ci shan zhong,
Yun shen bu zhi chu.

This was originally by a poet named Jia Dao, who lived during the Tang Dynasty.
DF MQ  Post #: 3
11/11/2010 22:34:56   
Shreder
Member

Zhu Zhi Ci

Slender willows, vibrant green
Dance above the tranquil river
Reflected in the water’s sheen
The sprightly willows toss and quiver

In the east, I see the sunrise
Yet to the west it’s rain I see
On the far bank someone’s singing
A song that drifts over to me

He sings that she doth matter not
That he no longer for her cries
Yet though he may claim he’s forgot
His voice betrays the lie



Zhu Zhi Ci

Yang liu qing qing jiang shui ping,
Wen lang an shang chang ge sheng.
Dong bian ri chu xi bian yu,
Dao shi wu qing que you qing.

~Liu Yu Xi

< Message edited by Shreder -- 11/11/2010 22:36:07 >
DF MQ  Post #: 4
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