英譯杜甫《登高》兼談體會

 

   杜甫《登高》原詩和我的英譯

 

杜甫《登高》原詩

風急天高猿嘯哀,渚清沙白鳥飛廻。無邊落木蕭蕭下,不盡長江滾滾來。

萬里悲秋常作客,百年多病獨登台。艱難苦恨繁霜鬢,潦倒新停濁酒杯。

 

      我的英譯:                       

An Ascent

 

The wind so wild, the sky so high,

The moody monkeys sorely sigh.

The isle so drear, the sand so pale,

The lingering gulls in circles sail.

All over such a vast expanse,

The rustling leaves off branches dance.

The Yangtse River rises yon,

And passes raging on and on.

Apart from home so far and long,

With autumn, myriad sorrows throng.

With illness all my life to fight,

I now alone ascend this height.

Weighed down in troubled times with care,

I hate the growing hoary hair.

A broken heart, for cups I pine;

Oh, if my health permitted wine!  

 

  自譯體會

 

    《登高》一詩為杜甫於唐代大歷二年(767)重陽節在夔州(四川奉節)所寫。清代楊倫《杜詩鏡銓》的讚語是“高渾一氣,古今獨步,當為杜集七言律詩第一。”明代胡應麟《詩藪》的讚語是“杜風急天高一章五十六字,如海底珊瑚,瘦勁難名,沉深莫測,而精光萬丈,力量萬鈞。通章章法、句法、字法,前無古人,後無來學……此詩當為古今七言律第一,不必為唐人七言律第一也。”他又說:“若風急天高,則一篇之中句句皆律,一句之中字字皆律,而實一意貫串,一氣呵成……真曠代之作也。”這些看法是有代表性的,是為古今學者們普遍接受的。

    對這樣一首難得的好詩,我在翻譯時戰戰兢兢,費盡了心思;我對原詩從字面到內涵的各個層次,都細心尋繹,從難從嚴來要求自己。我的這首譯詩在所譯的十首中還是最滿意的一首。

    詩題“登高”也就是第六句中的“登台”;我認為應該譯得籠統些,因此採用了“An Ascent”的譯法。

    譯詩的格式模仿了Fletcher: 抑揚格,四音步,每兩行同用一韻。全詩共用了八個韻部,把原詩每一行分譯為兩短行,讀起來就顯得鏗鏘有力。

    第一行中,wind wild用頭韻,skyhigh用尾韻。第二行中,moody monkeys用頭韻, sorely sigh也用頭韻。用了這些句間韻,又連用了四個so字,一開頭就給人以氣勢磅礡之感,烘托出了胡應麟所說的“精光萬丈,力量萬鈞”。這裡的sigh意為“grieve, mourn, express grief or sorrow”,以此譯“嘯”,並不牽強。這兩行的押韻也就顯得自然了。

    “猿”字在古詩詞中常見;至於“猿”與“猴”是否有別,非但我們在閱讀時習焉不察,甚至有些中文專家也未必深究。至於這個字的譯法,那就更值得探討了。常見的譯法有monkey, apegibbon三種,究竟何去何從呢?Fletcher主張譯為gibbon,他在李白《早發白帝城》譯詩附注中說:“唐詩中常見‘猿’ (gibbon) 字,可能那時的中國比現今更多森林。據我所知,現今長江流域不常見到‘猴’(monkey),可能在西江上游仍能見到。”他這段話不易理解,似乎不能解釋為現在不常見到猴而只能見到猿,也許他的原意是說現在連猴都不常見到,更不必說猿了。他這段話也不能說明唐詩中的猿就一定不是猴。舊版《辭海》說:“中國猿與猴,無甚別異。今動物學,猿有廣狹二義:狹義單指類人猿而言,猩猩、大猩猩、黑猩猩、長臂猿等屬之,餘則概稱為猴;廣義則猿猴無別,統稱為猿類或猿猴類。”我有些朋友去峨眉山觀光時所見到的是體形較大的圓臉猴,而不是動物園中常見的尖臉猴。但大家還是稱之為猴而不稱為猿。所以我認為猿即猿猴,是統稱。唐詩中的猿主要的還是猴。諸家譯為monkey的居多,我認為比較確切。ape 是類人猿,gibbon是長臂猿,恐怕都不是合適的譯法。

    我的前兩行借鑒了Fletcher的譯法“The wind so fresh, the sky so high / Awaken the gibbons’ cry.”欣賞之餘,進一步揣摩改寫為我的兩行,但仍未能脫其窠臼。

    “渚清沙白”有幾種不同的理解。《唐詩鑒賞辭典》解釋為“水清沙白”,有些譯家也是這樣翻譯的。渚本是江中小洲,詩人為何用清字來形容呢?沙是渚上的沙,還是沙灘上的沙呢?不同的理解就產生了不同的譯法。夏松涼《杜詩鑒賞》說:“深秋九月,林寒澗肅,沙洲小渚,孤零冷落,所以說‘清’;風霜高潔,水落石出,所以說‘白’。”我認為這個解釋融情於景,較為吻合。我就把“清”理解為“凄清”,譯為drear (詩歌用語,即dreary), “白”也應帶感情色彩,所以我不譯為 white而譯為 pale。這個 pale也正好同下行的 sail押韻, drearpale這兩個形容詞也同全詩的氣氛相一致。“The lingering gulls in circles sail”也譯出了鳥兒回旋,流連而不忍去的情景。這裡的sail應解釋為“glide through the air without apparent exertion ”,亦即翱翔之意。

    頷聯“無邊……”兩句是膾炙人口的名句,對仗極為工整。可是我考慮到“中詩尚整,英詩尚散”(呂叔湘語)的特點,沒有把對仗形式翻譯出來。何況全詩四聯都用對仗,要全部譯為對句,也是極困難的,甚至是不可能的。即使做到了這點,或許還會因遷就形式而妨礙內容的充分表達,影響譯詩的流暢,讀起來也不像英文詩了。有些翻譯家追求譯詩的對仗,忽視了英詩與漢詩的差異,我不敢贊同。我著重把“無邊”和“不盡”譯透,以體現這兩句的“精光萬丈,力量萬鈞”。將“無邊”單獨譯為一行:“All over such a vast expanse”,其中的such也同前面的四個so 相呼應;將“落木蕭蕭下”譯為另一行:“The rustling leaves off branches dance. ”其中將“下”字譯為“dance,使人感受到“蕭蕭”的音美以外,還看到了落葉紛紛飄舞的生動情景。“不盡”和“滾滾”分別譯為“rises yon”和“raging on and on,來烘托那種來不見源頭、去不見盡處的、源遠而流長的情景。其源遠的一面常為譯家所忽略。我最初譯為“The Yangtse rises far away / And rages eastward to the bay.”其中的eastwardbay都未免失之太實。

    現在談談頸聯“萬里”二句的翻譯。“萬里”二字的譯法有些翻譯家拘泥於字面,如a thousand miles, three thousand miles, ten thousand miles, ten thousand li 等。在英美詩歌中,是很難讀到這些具體數字的。我採用了意譯,把“萬里常作客”譯為“Apart from home so far and long”作為一行,再把“悲秋”譯為“With autumn, myriad sorrows throng”作為另一行。其中加了“myriad”,來體現百感交集,思緒萬千。“悲秋”二字應是“詩眼”,杜甫於重陽節獨自一人登高,撫今追昔,產生了無窮的悲愁情緒,所以我翻譯時突出地加以渲染。

    原詩第六句中的“百年”諸注家大多解釋為“一生”,只有羅大經解釋為“暮齒”(即晚年),後來《唐詩鑒賞辭典》也說“此處專指暮年。”我則採用前說,將“百年多病”譯為“With illness all my life to fight”這一個帶介詞的復合結構作為一行,又將“獨登台”譯為“I now alone ascend this height”作為另一行。這個“台”也就是杜甫在《九日》五首第一首中所說“抱病起登江上台”的“台”,我認為應該譯得籠統些,就根據羅大經所注“高迥處”譯為“height”。諸家也有譯為terrace, mountain, lofty stage tower的,我認為還是height更加概括。有位朋友說《戴南山集》中有此台的考證,可是我在那集子中沒有找到。我想即使找到考證,還是以不加注為好。

最後談談尾聯“艱難二句的譯法。原詩第七句中的“恨”大多數注家認為是動詞,“苦恨”意為“非常恨”,與末句的“新停”相對。蕭滌非卻說:“末二句用當句對法,艱難對苦恨,潦倒對新停。”這種解釋未免穿鑿附會。我將第七句譯為“Weighed down in troubled times with care, /

 I hate the growing hoary hair.”這裡的care是廣義的,包括國憂、民憂和個人的不幸遭遇各個方面。“Weighed down”襯托出艱苦備嘗,被各種心理重壓壓得透不過氣來的難受情景。

    原詩末句很多注家認為弱了些。沈確士說:“結句意盡語竭,不必曲為之諱。”胡應麟也說:“此篇結句似微弱者”,但他接著又說:“只如此軟冷收之,而無限悲涼之意溢於言外,似未為不稱也。”我認為沈評過苛,胡評後半部分尚屬允當。其實末句是全篇的最強音,並不微弱。與其說是軟冷,毋寧說是高亢。杜甫在此感慨萬分的時刻,多麼想痛飲幾杯,來澆澆胸中的塊壘,散散心頭的郁積啊!可他就在最近因肺病加劇而不得不戒酒,滿腔的悲憤和苦悶無處發泄,該多痛苦啊!按照這樣的理解,我將此句譯為“A broken heart, for cups I pine; / Oh, if my health permitted wine!”我沒有把“潦倒”理解為個人的窮困來翻譯,而是把上面的weighed down加以深化,譯為“a broken heart”(我的心都碎了)。接著又說:我多麼渴望浮幾大白啊!唉,要是我的健康情況能夠允許我喝酒,該多好啊!末行用虛擬語氣,表示這個願望無法實現。我費盡心思,深挖內涵,終於大膽地擺脫原文,來著重體現“最強音”,而這個“最強音”又含蓄在看似軟冷的虛擬語氣之中,無限悲憤的強烈感情也就溢於言外了。真是“言有盡而意無窮”,這就是我所追求的神似境界。如果讀者能在讀後感到餘味,我就十分欣慰了。至於“新停”和“濁”等字眼,就不求形似了。                    

   學習諸家譯作的體會

 

    我收集到的諸家譯作共11篇;J. B. Fletcher , 許淵衝(兩篇)和吳鈞陶都以格律體譯出; F. Ayscough ,  R.  Alley,  W. Bynner,,楊氏夫婦,柳無忌和李維建則以自由體譯出。

    題目的譯法有 The Heights,  On the Heights,  Climbing the Heights, A Long Climb, Climbing a Terrace,  Mounting,  Written on an Autumn Holiday等。“高”譯為heights 比較概括,這裡用復數形式來表示單數內容,符合英語習慣,因此前三種譯法我都贊同。“Terrace”的譯法似乎失之太實。“Mounting”的譯法比較靈活,雖省譯了“高”字,卻也把“高”字隱含在其中了。“高”字轉譯為Long,看似走樣,其實LongClimb的搭配在英語中也是成立的。“Written on an Autumn Holiday”的譯法不夠確切,重陽節固然是秋季的節日,但秋季還有其它節日,詩題的翻譯是不能這樣隨便的。

    就全詩的翻譯來說,我最欣賞楊氏夫婦的譯作,正確流暢,是自由體譯作的上品。柳無忌的譯作也非常妥貼,可惜限於篇幅,未能引錄。有些譯句下面還要論及。

    許淵衝將首聯譯為“The wind so soft, and sky so wide, apes wail and cry; / Water so clear, and beach so white, birds wheel and fly.”形式極為工整。但我對“wide”有些疑問,因其未能充分表達秋高氣爽的意味;可能是為了增加雙唇音,追求音美之故。“wail and cry”“wheel and fly”是否改為“wailing cry”“wheeling fly”好些?因為 cryfly表示主要動作,各用分詞作狀語來表示動作方式,這樣就能主次分明。

    有的譯家將首聯譯為:“Swift wind and a high ceiling mournful the monkeys sound, / From island to white beach the birds are wheeling round.”起句就似乎給人以生硬的感覺;“渚清沙白”的譯法也似欠妥。

    有的將首句譯為:“These days of autumn, the clouds / Are high; wind rises in strength; / Far away the cry of monkeys can / Be heard, giving people a sorrowful / Feeling.”讀之似覺流暢有餘而簡練不足,並且失去磅礡氣勢,與杜甫風格大相徑庭。

    有的將第二句譯為:“The isles clear-cut, the sand so white / Arrests the wheeling seagulls’ flight.”上行中省略了一個so, 便覺不對稱,下行中sea-gulls中的 sea似為畫蛇添足,夔州去海甚遠,故不宜用 sea字。這些都是湊合格律之過。“arrest”用詞極工,有“留鳥住”之意。

    有的將第二句譯為:“Birds are flying homeward over the clear lake and white sand.”其中homewardlake是明顯的錯誤:把回旋誤解為回家,把小洲誤解為湖泊。古本“廻”多作“回”,這可能是造成誤解的原因。還有譯為“Birds coming home” “backwards birds fly”,也是同樣性質的錯誤。“The birds are cleaving fine ”的譯法則把回旋誤解為掠過,其動作的性質與原意完全不同;fine的湊韻也很明顯。

    關於“無邊”二句的翻譯,楊氏夫婦譯得非常好:“Everywhere the leaves fall rustling from the trees. / While on for ever rolls the turbulent Yangtse.”讀之似覺老練而有神韻。

    F. Ayscough 之譯杜詩,有逐字死譯之嫌 A .C. Graham曾評之為 “the most advanced sufferer from the character-splitting fallacy”但這聯的譯法卻有獨到之處:“Without bounds is the forest, leaves fall, swish, swish, they drop; / No ending has Great River, swirl, swirl, it comes.”把“蕭蕭”和“滾滾”譯得有聲有色,實在值得欣賞。

    柳無忌將此聯譯為:“Leaves fall from deep woods — rustling and soughing; / The Long River rolls on, forever, wave after wave.”也曲盡其妙。只是覺得把“無邊”譯為deep,含蓄有餘而氣勢不足。

    Fletcher將“無邊”句譯為:“Through endless space with rustling sound / The falling leaves are whirled around.” 譯得既工整,又自然。他把“不盡”句譯為 “Beyond my ken a yeasty sea / The Yangtze’s waves are rolling free.”其中的ken 解釋為 range of sight, 是古英語的用法,用來譯古詩是可以的。但 “yeasty sea”費解。“yeasty”意為 “bubbling, foamy ” ,嫌弱;“sea”可能用來比喻長江,不妥。“free”不僅嫌弱,還有湊韻之嫌。

    許淵衝把此聯譯為“The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; / The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.”他以對仗形式譯出,字面非常工整,我很欣賞。只是覺得“hour after hour.”在格律上雖也可以看作為抑揚格的兩個音步(hour看作單音節),但在意義上似乎不夠確切。若改為“rolls its water wave after wave”,詞意似較妥貼,但不押韻了。“shower by shower”在意義上雖較吻合,但在格律上又破格了,因為不論看作五個音節還是三個音節,都不能滿足抑揚格兩個音步的要求。這是很難解決的問題。看來唯一的辦法還是打破對仗的框框,譯得“散”一些,問題才能迎刃而解。

    Alley把此聯譯為“falling / Leaves rustle as they come through / The air. The Yangtse seems endless / With its waters rolling on incessantly.”下句譯得很妥貼,但上句中省譯了非常重要的“無邊”,未免遺憾;as從句也過於平淡。

    有的譯家把第三句譯為:“Leaves are dropping down like the spray of a waterfall.”比喻失當,“蕭蕭”之意境全失,“無邊”也未體現。有的譯為 “Leaves rustling down”,似過於草率和簡略,“無邊”也無著落。請想一想外國朋友們讀了這三個詞能夠看出這原來是杜甫的警句嗎?

    有的譯家把第四句譯為:“The ever-flowing Yangtze on its way rolls and wrestles.”其中“wrestles”意為“摔跤、拼搏”,畫蛇添足,不倫不類,蓋為與上行rustles押韻所致,且韻也不工。這是“因韻害義”之一例。

    楊氏夫婦把“萬里”二句譯為:“All around in autumnal gloom and I, long from home, /A prey all my life to ill health, climb the terrace alone.”譯得極為高妙,顯出了老翻譯家的非凡功力;特別是“百年多病”的譯法恰到好處。柳無忌把“百年”句譯為:“My whole life afflicted by sickness, I mount alone the high terrace.”也很妥貼。Alley譯為 “with sickness for / A companion; now do I climb high / Above the river by myself.”其中“登台”的譯法很巧妙,“台”字雖未直接譯出,讀者也可體味出來。但把“多病”誤解為想念伴侶或朋友,很不應該。有的譯為:“With dragging years and illness wage / Lone war upon this lofty stage.”句法不自然,“百年”的譯法不確切,“wage lone war”似嫌做作。有的譯為:“Life is short, my health failing, here / I stand alone.” 其中把“百年”作“人生短暫”譯出,實為理解錯誤。“台”字未譯出,“登”字無著落,從上下文中也看不出杜甫是站在哪裡。有的譯為:“A hundred years, many illnesses! Alone I climb the tower.” 其中“百年多病”逐字死譯,曲解原義。

    柳無忌把“艱難”句譯為:“Beset by hardships, I resent the heavy frost on my temples.”譯得十分確切, 同我的思路不謀而合。Bynner譯為 “Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples.” 採用擬人格,也是一種辦法,但總覺得不很切合原意。“fortune”局限於個人遭遇,“bitter ”修飾“frost ”也是理解錯誤。有的譯為:“Hating the hardships which have frosted my hair,”則把“艱難”看作“苦恨”的賓語,又把“繁霜鬢”看作“艱難”的定語,似乎不是正解。我認為“艱難”和“潦倒”貌似名詞,實為副詞,分別用作“恨”和“停”的原因狀語;“繁霜鬢”和“濁酒杯”分別作這兩個動詞的賓語。當然翻譯不能死摳語法,但正確的語法分析也是理解原文的鑰匙。有的譯為:“Hardships and bitterness frosting many a hair” 有的譯為:“Troubles and sorrow have turned my hair grey”有的譯為:“Sorrows, hardships, bitterness, grief, thickly frosted hair on my brows”這三家都把“艱難”和“苦恨”作為名詞譯出,顯然是理解錯誤。第三家譯成四詞,尤為累贅 “brow”更是誤譯。有的譯為:“With troubles vexed and trials sore / My locks are daily growing hoar.”其上行似可作“Vexed with troubles and sore with trials”來理解,但究嫌晦澀。“苦恨”的譯法也不正確。

    關於末句的翻譯,我最欣賞的是楊氏夫婦的“Sad that illness has made me give up the solace of wine.”和柳無忌的“Dispirited, I have by now abandoned my cup of unstrained wine.”

    有的譯家譯為:“Till Time, before whose steps I pine, / Set down this failing cup of wine!” 有的譯為:“Down and out, can’t even drink now, / can’t even drink now.”則把“潦倒”作落魄貧困解,未能由表及裡,深挖內涵。又連說兩句“現在連酒都不能喝”,使人誤解為買不起酒喝。“Pressed by poverty, I give up my cup of wine”“Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine”也存在著同樣性質的問題。通過這樣的翻譯,原來的詩句就真的顯得“微弱”了。

    總括以上的一些問題來看,我們不難得出一個結論: 正確理解原文,掌握正確思路,抓住原文的精神實質,這是翻譯之前必須解決的首要問題。錯誤的理解必然導致錯誤的譯作。只有正確理解了原文,才能深挖內涵,然後在表達上狠下工夫,從形似升華到神似,而譯者的態度嚴謹與否也是至關重要的。

 

《英譯杜甫<登高>兼談體會》一文原載於《外國語》1990年第二期(總第66期)。

   曾於19922月獲化工部永不淡忘老同志功勛展參展證書。

 

諸家英譯《登高》選錄 

Climbing a Terrace         楊憲益、戴乃迭譯

Wind blusters high in the sky and monkeys wail; / Clear the islet with white sand where birds are wheeling; / Everywhere the leaves fall rustling from the trees, / While on for ever rolls the turbulent Yangtse. / All around is autumnal gloom and I, long from home, / A prey all my life to ill health, climb the terrace alone; / Hating the hardships which have frosted my hair, / Sad that illness made me give up the solace of wine.

 

Climbing the Heights          柳無忌譯

When winds rage and the sky is high, gibbons cry mournfully; / Over white sands on a clear riverbank, birds fly and whirl. / Leaves fall from deep woods – rustling and soughing; / The Long River rolls on, forever, wave after wave. / Ten thousand miles away in sad autumn, I often find myself a stranger; / My whole life afflicted by sickness, I mount alone the high terrace. / Beset by hardships, I resent the heavy frost on my temples; / Dispirited, I have by now abandoned my cup of unstrained wine.

 

The Heights            W. J. B. Fletcher

The wind so fresh, the sky so high / Awake the gibbons’ wailing cry. / The isles clear-cut, the sand so white, / Arrest the wheeling sea-gulls’ flight. / Through endless space with rustling sound / The falling leaves are whirled around. / Beyond my ken a yeasty sea / The Yangtze’s waves are rolling free. / From far away, in autumn drear, / I find myself a stranger here. / With dragging years and illness wage / Lone war upon this lofty stage. / With troubles vexed and trials sore / My locks are daily growing hoar: / Till Time, before whose steps I

pine, / Set down this failing cup of wine!

 

On the Heights  ( I )               許淵沖譯

The wind so swift, the sky so steep, sad gibbons cry; / Water so clear and sand so white, backward birds fly. / The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; /  The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour. / Far from home in autumn, I’m grieved to see my plight; / After my long illness, I climb alone this height. / Living in hard times, at my frosted hair I pine; / Pressed by poverty, I give up my cup of wine.

 

On the Heights  ( II )               許淵沖譯

The wind so swift and sky so wide, apes wail and cry; / Water so clear and beach so white, birds wheel and fly. / The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; / The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour. / A thousand miles from home in autumn, I’m grieved at autumn’s plight; / Ill now and then for years, ,alone I’m on this height. / Living in times so hard, at frosted hair I pine; / Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine.

 

Written on an Autumn Holiday         Rewi  Alley

These days of autumn, the clouds / Are high; wind rises in strength; / Far away the cry of monkeys can / Be heard, giving people a sorrowful / Feeling; skimming the white sands / And the water, waterfowl fly; falling / Leaves rustle as they come through / The air; The Yangtse seems endless / With its waters rolling on incessantly; /So many autumns have I now spent / Away from home, with sickness for / A companion; now do I climb high / Above the river by myself, /Troubles and sorrow have turned my hair / Grey; sick and poor, I now / Even stop drinking wine!

 

I Climb High                    Florence Ayscough

Wind is strong, sky is high, gibbons wail sadly; / Shoals are bright, sand gleam white, birds fly in circles. / Without bounds is the forest, leaves fall, swish, swish, they drop; / No ending has Great River, swirl, swirl, it comes. / Ten thousand li sad Autumn! Have been long a wanderer; / A hundred years, many illnesses! Alone I climb the tower. / Sorrows, hardships, bitterness, grief, thickly frosted hair on my brows, / Inert I sink to ground; all fellowship ended; I drink muddy wine in my cup.

 

A Long Climb                    Witter Bynn

In a sharp gale from the wide sky apes are whimpering, / Birds are flying homeward over the clear lake and white sand, / Leaves are dropping down like the spray of a waterfall, / While I watched the long river always rolling on. / I have come three miles away. Sad now with autumn / And with my hundred years of woe, I climb this height alone. / Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples, / Heart-ache and weariness are a thick dust in my wine.

Climbing the Heights             謝文通譯

Swift wind and a high ceiling mournful the monkeys sound, / From island to white beach the birds are wheeling round. / Everywhere falling leaves fall rustling to / The waves of the Long River onrushing without bound. / Who grieves for Autumn a thousand miles from home / Despite lifelong illness I climb the terrace alone. / Hardships and bitterness frosting many a hair, / I abjure the cup of wine that stopped my moan.

 

On the Heights           李惟建譯,翁顯良校

High wind blowing,  high clouds floating,  gibbons wailing, / Sandbars gleaming white, the waters rippling clear, / Birds coming home, leaves rustling down -- / And the great river rolls on, ceaseless. / A stranger here, far, far, from home, / I can’t help feeling sad in autumn. / Life is short, my health failing, here I stand alone. / Life is hard, my temples greying, / I’m filled with regret. / Down and out, can’t even drink now, / Can’t even drink now…

An Ascent              徐忠杰譯

A stiff breeze is up; the vault of heaven seems high. / Monkeys on the hills are making their plaintive cry. / The islets become clearer; the sandbanks, clean and white; / Water-birds are hovering over them in their flight. / For miles around, rustling leaves are falling without pause. / The Yang-tze-kiang is tumbling on in its onward course. / Far from home, autumn strikes me as adding to my grief. / An invalid, I mount the heights alone for relief. / Long suffering has left its cruel mark on my hair. / I’ve ceased anew to drink in utter despair.

 

Mounting            吴鈞陶譯

From heaven high the winds are whirling down with monkey’s whine, / And over the white sanded hursts the birds are cleaving fine. / The boundless forests shed their yellow leaves with rustles; / The everflowing Yangtze on its way rolls and wrestles. / Autumn is chilling me – always a thousand-miles-roameer, / Alone mounting the mountain, and a life-long sufferer. / I deeply loathe my rime-like temples as in these hard times; / Of late Senility yet forces me to give up wines!