九章（二）·涉江

屈原

余幼好此奇服兮，

年既老而不衰。

带长铗之陆离兮，

冠切云之崔嵬。

被明月兮佩宝璐。

世混浊而莫余知兮，

吾方高驰而不顾。

驾青虬兮骖白螭，

吾与重华游兮瑶之圃。

登昆仑兮食玉英，

与天地兮同寿，

与日月兮同光。

哀南夷之莫吾知兮，

旦余济乎江湘。

乘鄂渚而反顾兮，

唉秋冬之绪风

步余马兮山皋，

邸余车兮方林。

乘舲船余上沅兮，

齐吴榜以击汰。

船容与而不进兮，

淹回水而疑滞。

朝发枉渚兮，

夕宿辰阳。

苟余心其端直兮，

虽僻远之何伤。

入溆浦余儃徊兮，

迷不知吾所如。

深林杳以冥冥兮，

猿狖之所居。

山峻高以蔽日兮，

下幽晦以多雨。

霰雪纷其无垠兮，

云霏霏而承宇。

哀吾生之无乐兮，

幽独处乎山中。

吾不能变心而从俗兮，

固将愁苦而终穷。

接舆髡首兮，

桑扈臝行。

忠不必用兮，

贤不必以。

伍子逢殃兮，

比干菹醢。

与前世而皆然兮，

吾又何怨乎今之人！

余将董道而不豫兮，

固将重昏而终身！

乱曰：鸾鸟凤皇，日以远兮。

燕雀乌鹊，

巢堂坛兮。

露申辛夷，

死林薄兮。

腥臊并御，

芳不得薄兮。

阴阳易位，

时不当兮。

怀信佗傺，

忽乎吾将行兮！

Wading the River

By QU Yuan

From boyhood I’ve been fond of bizarre dresses.

Aged though I accept news things like sponges

I have a long sword at my waist,

and a cloud-cutting hat on my head placed,

with attached luminous jade beads bright and brilliant.

I also wear strings of jingle jangle jades decent.

The turbid and dirty world leaves me appreciated.

So from its noise I’d keep myself isolated.

By chariot driven by dragon white and green,

I’ll tour with Yao and Shun King’s¹scene.

I’ll ascend Kunlun, one of the mightiest heights,

and up there I’ll taste Flora’s delicious delights

With Heaven and Earth for longevity I’ll vie.

Like luminous heavenly bodies things light I’ll supply.

Sore! Nobody knows me in the south quite.

I cross Xiang and Yangzte at first light.

After stepping on island E I look behind,

Bleak are the bitterly cold breathes I find.

I allow my steed to stray at hillside.

I park my chariot by the wood wide.

Upstream River Yuan a small boat I row,

All the way breaking the waves I go.

With the tide my boat rises and falls.

Round and round it circles and forward inches.

From Islet Wang I set out at dawn,

stay over Chenyang after night curtain is drawn.

So long as I stay steadfast and stable,

to suffer any remote places I am able.

At Ferry Xu I halt between two ideas.

because nowhere I can head for with assurance.

Dark are hills and woods thick with plants,

Where apes, gorillas and monkeys pride and prance.

The towering mountains cover all the sky.

The incessant misty rain blurs my view nigh.

Oh, snowflakes fly and float high and low!

Dark clouds fill the whole sky without glow.

Poor me! Joyless and cheerless always I’ve been,

living solitarily in isolation deep in mountain green.

Being too adamant to drift with the current,

In lifelong poverty and sorrow I’ve been constant.

Jieyu², resentful of the State, shaved his hair.

Sanghu³ walked all around in the scud bare.

Loyal men are not put in important positions.

Wise men find it hard to get promotions.

Wu Zixu ended in a doleful life desolated.

Loyal Bi Gan ended with his heart dissected.

History records ends of the faith and wise.

To the current I would close my eyes.

And constantly I’ll stay upright without any doubt

though it’ll make me always down and out.

 

Epilogue

Luans and phoenixes are farther and farther pressed,

while in high hall sparrows and crow nest.

In jungles fragrant daphne and lily magnolia die.

Stinky and foul smell floods the hall high.

Fragrant flower and grasses are sweet and fair,

but sad to say they find footholds nowhere.

By some strange chance has gone wrong everything.

The whole society has run out of keeping.

Unfulfilled and wasted though I’m devoted and dedicated,

Far away from all society I’ll stay isolated.

Notes

1. King: the King of Heaven.

2. Jieyu: real named Lu Tong, a hermit of State Chu during the Spring and Autumn period.

3. Sanghu: a hermit of State Lu.