《Pipa Music Round》Bai Ju Yi 江紹倫譯
潯陽江頭夜送客 At river’s Xun Yang Station I parted a friend one autumn night
楓葉荻花秋瑟瑟 Maple leaves and reed flowers scattered to sadly sigh
主人下馬客在船 I dismounted to greet my friend he was already on his boat
舉酒欲飲無管絃 We raised our cups to drink hearing no musical notes
醉不成歡慘將別 Without a song we drank flatly our hearts were heavy
別時茫茫江浸月 The moon in the river seemed to suggest our separation finality
忽聞水上琵琶聲 At that instant the sound of pipa flowed from the water
主人忘歸客不發 We stood still while our boat pulled out its anchor
尋聲暗問彈者誰 We traced the source of music to find the musician
琵琶聲停欲語遲 In a moment of silence a hesitant pipa player entered our vision
移船相近邀相見 We moved our boat near to invite her over
添酒回燈重開宴 While we refurbished our party goodies for her to join us
千呼萬喚始出來 She appeared shy even after repeated calls and urges sincere
猶抱琵琶半遮面 Holding her pipa to shield half her face as she moved to the center
轉軸撥絃三兩聲 Twice or thrice she plucked the strings to test the sounds
未成曲調先有情 Before we heard a tune her music already touched us profound
絃絃掩抑聲聲思 The melodies revealed her deep thoughts and pathos strong
似訴平生不得志 As if telling about her unrealized wishes life long
低眉信手續續彈 With brows lowered she played her instrument naturally
說盡心中無限事 To articulate social events and private feelings convincingly
輕攏慢撚抹復挑 Light plucks and brisk runs released all her emotions out
初為霓裳後六么 From the scores of “Green Apparel” and “Colorful Clouds”
大絃嘈嘈如急雨 The heavy strings thrummed her theme like pattering rains
小絃切切如私語 The light strings tinkled in soft reverberating rings
嘈嘈切切錯雜彈 As loud patters and soft murmurs mixed to orchestrate
大珠小珠落玉盤 The notes and phrases resonated like pearls dropping in a jade plate
閒關鶯語花底滑 Oriole trills sliding through flower petals delightfully dinged
幽咽泉流水下灘 Sad sobs continuous trickled from a lingering spring
水泉冷澀絃凝絕 At times the cold water seems to congeal notes from the strings
凝絕不通聲漸歇 And submerge melodic sounds into fading hints
別有幽愁暗恨生 Still we heard vague grieving regrets in communicate
此時無聲勝有聲 Silence affected our souls more than loudness inundate
銀瓶乍破水漿迸 In a moment we heard the abrupt burst of a silver jar
鐵騎突出刀鎗鳴 And saber clashes of soldiers riding steeds rumbling past
曲終收撥當心畫 Before the music ended she swept on the strings right across
四絃一聲如裂帛 All four strings exploded in a sound of tearing silk cloth
東船西舫悄無言 Silence reigned among listeners on boats left and right
唯見江心秋月白 At mid-river the moonshine was especially bright
沈吟放撥插絃中 Then she pensively slid the plectrum between the stings
整頓衣裳起斂容 And rose to tell us her story with a composed mien
自言本是京城女 I was born in the Capital she began to narrate
家在蝦蟆陵下住 At the foot of Toad Hill my home located
十三學得琵琶成 At thirteen I learned to play the pipa the best way
名屬教坊第一部 My skills had put me among peers in prime place
曲罷曾教善才服 With every performance I earned warm encouraging praises
妝成每被秋娘妒 My beauty became the envy of maidens of yesterday
五陵年少爭纏頭 Young men crowded around to shower gifts on me
一曲紅綃不知數 A single performance would return rolls of fine silk free
鈿頭銀篦擊節碎 Being young I wasted my years collecting hairpins in silver
血色羅裙翻酒汙 And allowed spilled wine to stain my silk gowns so improper
今年歡笑復明年 Time disappeared as I laughed my joyous life away
秋月春風等閒度 With the flow of moonlit nights in autumn and breezy spring days
弟走從軍阿姨死 With my younger brother joined the army and our servants gone
暮去朝來顏色故 My beauty began to fade as time wore on
門前冷落車馬稀 No longer were there carriages and fine steeds at my door
老大嫁作商人婦 So I married a merchant realizing my prime no longer in store
商人重利輕別離 My merchant husband cared for money more than for me
前月浮梁買茶去 He was often away doing trades on tea
去來江口守空船 Being his wife I watched time go by on a boat empty
繞船月明江水寒 In nights with shining moon my boat house was not homey
夜深忽夢少年事 I often dreamed of happy years washed away so free
夢啼妝淚紅闌干 And woke up to find my rouge face drowned in tears
我聞琵琶已嘆息 Listening to her sad music I sighed feeling pain
又聞此語重唧唧 Now hearing her story I sighed again and say
同是天涯淪落人 You and I are both in misfortune drifting from shore to shore
相逢何必曾相識 With this encounter need we have known each other before
我從去年辭帝京 I was banished from office in the Capital last year
謫居臥病潯陽城 To live a degraded life in sickness at Xun Yang near here
潯陽地僻無音樂 This place is too primitive to feature melodic songs
終歲不聞絲竹聲 I have not heard any sophisticated music all year long
住近湓城地低濕 Dwelling by the river the grounds are damp and low
黃蘆苦竹繞宅生 My house is amid scattering bamboo and wild reeds yellow
其間旦暮聞何物 What is there to hear from dawn to dusk ample
杜鵑啼血猿哀鳴 But repeating cuckoo calls and gibbon cries frightful
春江花朝秋月夜 On most spring morns and autumn moon evenings
往往取酒還獨傾 All I could do is to get drunk alone for entertaining
豈無山歌與村笛 Of course there are village pipes and mountain songs to hear
嘔啞嘲哳難為聽 But they are crude noises grate to the ear
今夜聞君琵琶語 I listen to you playing the pipa tonight
如聽仙樂耳暫明 Your divine music sooths my heart empowering me to hear fine
莫辭更坐彈一曲 It would be so pleasing if you would play us an encore
為君翻作琵琶行 In return I promise to write about your performance I so adore
感我此言良久立 She showed her gratitude by standing respectfully
卻坐促絃絃轉急 Then sat down to play the strings with quick sweeps elegantly
淒淒不似向前聲 Her superb performance produced tunes sad and dreary
滿座重聞皆掩泣 The audience was mesmerized and began to weep freely
座中泣下誰最多 Who wept the most among the people in the party
江州司馬青衫濕 None other than the host on blue robe sobbing unceasingly