ZZ58翻译：长恨歌(白居易)
Translation: Endless Regret (Bai Juyi)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
汉皇重色思倾国，
This libidinous Han Emperor desired an unrivaled stunner,
御宇多年求不得。
but he wasn’t able to find one in many years of reign.
杨家有女初长成，
Yang family’s daughter had just grown up.
养在深闺人未识。
In living a sheltered home life, the public did not know about her.
天生丽质难自弃，
Being a born beauty, she could not stay a hidden gem forever.
一朝选在君王侧。
So one day she was chosen to be at His Majesty’s side.
回眸一笑百媚生，
Her smile in turning her head was utterly enticing.
六宫粉黛无颜色。
Women in six palaces were paled when stacked against her loveliness.
春寒赐浴华清池，
In cold springtime, she was granted privilege to bathe at Huaqing fountain.
温泉水滑洗凝脂。
Hot spring water washed her satin-smooth skin.
侍儿扶起娇无力，
She was so helpless when maids assisted her to get up.
始是新承恩泽时。
That was when she newly became the ruler’s favorite.
云鬓花颜金步摇，
Swaying pin-tassels on hair-bun added charm to her pretty face.
芙蓉帐暖度春宵。
Inside embroidered bed-drapes, she spent nights with Emperor.
春宵苦短日高起，
Regrettably spring nights were short, and they only got up at high noon.
从此君王不早朝。
Henceforth monarch did not attend morning court sessions.
承欢侍宴无闲暇，
She was fully occupied in entertaining and dining with him.
春从春游夜专夜。
In spring, touring and sleeping with him were her specialties.
后宫佳丽三千人，
There were three thousand gorgeous women in inner palaces,
三千宠爱在一身。
and his attention was focused on one person—her.
金屋妆成娇侍夜，
She was cuddly and dressed up to serve him at love nest nightly.
玉楼宴罢醉和春。
High on wine after banquet at grand building she looked sensual.
姊妹弟兄皆列士，
Her siblings were all made high-ranking officials.
可怜光彩生门户。
Enviably she brought prosperity to the clan.
遂令天下父母心，
As such, attitudes of parents across the nation
不重生男重生女。
preferred to give birth to girls and not boys.
骊宫高处入青云，
Branch palace at Mount Li was positioned at high altitude.
仙乐风飘处处闻。
Wind carried heavenly music everywhere.
缓歌慢舞凝丝竹，
From wind/string instruments came soothing tunes and dances.
尽日君王看不足。
All day long, Emperor didn’t get tired of watching them.
渔阳鼙鼓动地来，
Earth-shattering battle drumbeats rang out at County Yuyang.
惊破霓裳羽衣曲。
They brutally interrupted the “Fairyland Feather-Dress Song”.
九重城阙烟尘生，
Smoke and dust filled all nine sections of palaces.
千乘万骑西南行。
Thousands of riders and horses headed southwest.
翠华摇摇行复止，
The imperial convoy staggered forward and paused intermittently.
西出都门百馀里。
It arrived at a hundred plus Chinese miles west of capital’s front gate.
六军不发无奈何，
Six battalions refused to move on and nothing could be done.
宛转蛾眉马前死。
After much pleading, Yang was executed in front of ruler’s horse.
花钿委地无人收，
Nobody picked up her jewelry scattered on the ground.
翠翘金雀玉搔头。
And neither were the emerald and jade pieces.
君王掩面救不得，
The Emperor covered his face and could do nothing to save her.
回看血泪相和流。
A mix of his blood and tears oozed out when he turned back his head.
黄埃散漫风萧索，
Yellow dust scattered in whistling wind.
云栈萦纡登剑阁。
Through sky-high meandering plank-road they climbed up to Sword Gate Pass.
峨嵋山下少人行，
Few travelers were seen below Emei-like Mountains.
旌旗无光日色薄。
In gloomy daylight, military banners lost their hues.
蜀江水碧蜀山青，
Both rivers and mountains at Shu Region were greenish.
圣主朝朝暮暮情。
Day and night His Majesty was plagued by love-sickness.
行宫见月伤心色，
In seeing the moon at makeshift palace, he was heart-shattered.
夜雨闻铃肠断声。
Bell-ringing sounds in rain were particularly heart-wrenching.
天旋地转回龙驭，
With a turn of fortune, the imperial coach came back to the capital.
到此踌躇不能去。
At the eventful place, Emperor paused and stopped going.
马嵬坡下泥土中，
Inside the soil below the bottom of Mawei Slope,
不见玉颜空死处。
the die-in-vain beauty could no longer be seen.
君臣相顾尽沾衣，
Looking at one another, tears soaked clothes of Emperor and officials.
东望都门信马归。
They let horses trot at own paces as they headed east to capital.
归来池苑皆依旧，
Upon their return, ponds and gardens stayed the same,
太液芙蓉未央柳。
with lotuses in Taiye Pond and willows beside Weiyang Palace.
芙蓉如面柳如眉，
Reminiscent were lotuses of her face and willows of her eyebrows.
对此如何不泪垂！
How could tears not fall facing these?
春风桃李花开日，
There were days when peach/plum trees bloomed in spring breeze,
秋雨梧桐叶落时。
and parasol leaves fell off under autumn rain.
西宫南内多秋草，
Fall-time weed was in abundance at west and south palaces.
落叶满阶红不扫。
Doorsteps turned red from un-swept fallen leaves.
梨园子弟白发新，
Hairs of imperial performers had recently turned gray.
椒房阿监青娥老。
Palace concubines and maids were getting old.
夕殿萤飞思悄然，
At sunset, Emperor mulled in silence amid airborne fireflies at hall.
孤灯挑尽未成眠。
Until lone oil lamp was burned out, he still couldn’t fall asleep.
迟迟钟鼓初长夜，
Time dragged on and hour-telling bells and drums seemed belated.
耿耿星河欲曙天。
Stars were shining bright just as the day began to break.
鸳鸯瓦冷霜华重，
Chilly frost covered interlocked tiles on roof.
翡翠衾寒谁与共？
Who would share the dainty embroidery quilt with the monarch?
悠悠生死别经年，
After one long year in different paths between life and death,
魂魄不曾来入梦。
her spirit had not shown up in his dream.
临邛道士鸿都客，
A Linqiong Taoist priest was a visitor at Chang’an,
能以精诚致魂魄。
Allegedly with utmost sincerity he could summon souls.
为感君王辗转思，
Touched by the monarch’s gnawing passion,
遂教方士殷勤觅。
the Taoist was instructed to search diligently for her.
排空驭气奔如电，
With lightning speed, he zoomed across air and space.
升天入地求之遍。
In sky and earth, he looked all over different places.
上穷碧落下黄泉，
Locations in blue sky above and netherworld below were exhausted.
两处茫茫皆不见。
There was no trace of her in these two boundless realms.
忽闻海上有仙山，
Suddenly he heard there was a mountain at sea occupied by gods.
山在虚无缥缈间。
The peak existed in an abstract yet realistic space.
楼阁玲珑五云起，
Exquisite tower rose amidst multicolored clouds.
其中绰约多仙子。
Among the locals were many shapely goddesses.
中有一人字太真，
One of them went by the name Taizhen.
雪肤花貌参差是。
Seemingly she had snow-like skin and flower-like beauty.
金阙西厢叩玉扃，
Knocking at the front gate upon arrival,
转教小玉报双成。
he instructed a maid to deliver a message.
闻道汉家天子使，
In hearing a sovereign’s representative was there,
九华帐里梦魂惊。
she was shocked out of her dream inside luxurious bed-drapes.
揽衣推枕起徘徊，
Pushing pillow aside and lifting her gown, she went hesitantly.
珠箔银屏迤逦开。
Then she pushed open bead-curtain and silver screen.
云鬓半偏新睡觉，
She was still half-awake with tilted hair-bun
花冠不整下堂来。
and untidy floral crown as she walked down the hallway.
风吹仙袂飘飘举，
When wind wafted up sleeves of her fairy-dress in floating motion,
犹似霓裳羽衣舞。
it was as if she was performing a “Fairyland Feather-Dress Dance”.
玉容寂寞泪阑干，
Tears crisscrossed her gorgeous face in sadness,
梨花一枝春带雨。
as if it were a springtime pear-bloom in rain.
含情凝睇谢君王，
She gazed at him and asked him to thank the monarch with love.
一别音容两渺茫。
Once departed, memories of each other had become a blur.
昭阳殿里恩爱绝，
Their mutual affection at Zhaoyang Palace had become history.
蓬莱宫中日月长。
Many days and month still were coming in this Penglai-like place.
回头下望人寰处，
In looking back at the mundane world,
不见长安见尘雾。
Chang’an was out of sight while dust and fog remained.
唯将旧物表深情，
She could only express her deep passion through mementos,
钿合金钗寄将去。
by asking him to bring back jewelry-studded box and gold hairpin.
钗留一股合一扇，
She kept a portion of the hairpin and box.
钗擘黄金合分钿。
Hairpin was broken apart and pattern of box was separated.
但教心似金钿坚，
She asked that their hearts to stay firm like gold.
天上人间会相见。
In heaven or earth they would meet again.
临别殷勤重寄词，
In bidding farewell, she earnestly asked him to bring back words.
词中有誓两心知。
In those words were pledges that only the two of them would know.
七月七日长生殿，
In Changsheng Palace on seventh day of seventh month,
夜半无人私语时。
he whispered in her ears when no one was around.
在天愿作比翼鸟，
In sky she would want to be joint-body birds with him.
在地愿为连理枝。
On ground she would want to be joint-branch trees together.
天长地久有时尽，
Times would come when long-living heaven and earth would end.
此恨绵绵无绝期!
But this regret would live on forever and ever.
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