苏轼《水调歌头》完整英文版
Original Chinese Version:
明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间？
转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。
English Translation:
How often comes the bright moon?
I raise my wine cup and ask the blue sky.
I do not know about the palace in the sky,
What year is it tonight?
I would like to soar with the wind and return there,
But I fear the jade and crystal palace are so high,
The coldness there cannot be endured.
Dancing with my shadow, what is like being in the mortal world?
The moon turns the red verandas,
Shines on the beautiful lattice windows,
And keeps the sleepless ones awake.
The moon should not have any怨恨,
Why does it always round when people are apart?
Men have joy and grief, parting and meeting,
The moon has its phases of being bright, of being dark, of being round,
This is something that has been difficult to be perfect since ancient times.
I wish for all of us to be healthy and long-lived,
And share the same beautiful moonlight across thousands of miles.
Explanation:
This is a translation of the famous Chinese poem “Water Tune” by Su Shi (Baoshu). The poem is a song about the moon, expressing the author’s wishes for the well-being of his loved ones and the beauty of the natural world. The English translation aims to capture the essence of the original poem, while adapting it to the English language.
The opening line “How often comes the bright moon?” captures the essence of the original line, asking about the frequency of the moon’s appearance. The line “I raise my wine cup and ask the blue sky” translates the original line literally, while also maintaining the sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe.
The subsequent lines follow a similar pattern, translating the original lines while maintaining the sense of the poem’s themes and emotions. The line “I would like to soar with the wind and return there” captures the original line’s sense of longing for the moon, while “But I fear the jade and crystal palace are so high, The coldness there cannot be endured” translates the original line’s sense of fear and uncertainty about returning to the moon.
The final lines “Men have joy and grief, parting and meeting, The moon has its phases of being bright, of being dark, of being round, This is something that has been difficult to be perfect since ancient times” translate the original lines’ sense of impermanence and imperfection, while “I wish for all of us to be healthy and long-lived, And share the same beautiful moonlight across thousands of miles” captures the original line’s wish for the well-being of loved ones and the beauty of the moon.
Overall, this translation aims to capture the essence of the original poem, while adapting it to the English language. It aims to maintain the sense of wonder, curiosity, fear, uncertainty, impermanence, imperfection, and wish that are present in the original poem.