九章（五）怀沙

屈原

滔滔孟夏兮，草木莽莽。

伤怀永哀兮，汩徂南土。

眴兮杳杳，孔静幽默。

郁结纡轸兮，离愍而长鞠。

抚情效志兮，冤屈而自抑。

刓方以为圜兮，常度未替。

易初本迪兮，君子所鄙。

章画志墨兮，前图未改。

内厚质正兮，大人所晟。

巧陲不斵兮，孰察其揆正？

玄文处幽兮，蒙瞍谓之不章。

离娄微睇兮，瞽谓之不明。

变白以为黑兮，倒上以为下。

凤皇在笯兮，鸡鹜翔舞。

同糅玉石兮，一概而相量。

夫惟党人鄙固兮，羌不知余之所臧。

任重载盛兮，陷滞而不济。

怀瑾握瑜兮，穷不知所示。

邑犬群吠兮，吠所怪也。

非俊疑杰兮，固庸态也。

文质疏内兮，众不知余之异采。

材朴委积兮，莫知余之所有。

重仁袭义兮，谨厚以为丰。

重华不可遌兮，孰知余之从容！

古固有不并兮，岂知其何故！

汤禹久远兮，邈而不可慕。

惩连改忿兮，抑心而自强。

离闵而不迁兮，愿志之有像。

进路北次兮，日昧昧其将暮。

舒忧娱哀兮，限之以大故。

乱曰：浩浩沅湘，分流汩兮。

脩路幽蔽，道远忽兮。

曾唫恒悲兮，永慨叹兮。

世既莫吾知兮，人心不可谓兮。

怀质抱青，独无匹兮。

伯乐既没，骥焉程兮。

民生禀命，各有所错兮。

定心广志，余何畏惧兮！

曾伤爰哀，永叹喟兮。

世溷浊莫吾知，人心不可谓兮。

知死不可让，愿勿爱兮。

明告君子，吾将以为类兮

With A Rock in My Arms

By QU Yuan

Of Yang early summer’s sufficient.

Grasses and trees are opulent.

Only I’m stuck in sorrow.

Sorrowfully farther south I go.

I see a boundless sight.

but can’t hear things quite.

My sorrows I can’t forget.

How well can I get?

On my ambition I reflected.

Being wronged is surely expected.

I stick to my way.

To smoothness I can’t sway.

Going adrift with the tide,

Men of moral ambitions deride.

Following consistently the set conventions,

Adhering to the old resolutions,

with an enriched heart square,

praise men of aspirations fair.

Chui¹ was a skilled craftsman.

Was he a standard one?

Men hid its colorful design.

Blind men said, “not fine”.

His eyes Li Lou² squinted.

“He’s eyeless” blind men stated.

They call white black mere.

They call high low sheer.

Phoenixes in cages men tie.

Ducks say they can fly.

Jades and stones are fused.

Good and bad are confused.

Those guys are dreadfully dull.

They think my merits null.

My duties are too heavy.

I feel myself not worthy.

I hold some treasure costly

But I can’t show anybody.

In batches Village dogs stay

Only infrequent comers they bay.

Calling a hero a monster

is shallow men’s favorite savor.

I’m genuinely frank and elegant

But nobody knows I’m brilliant.

I’m learnt and talented enough.

But nobody knows my stuff.

I’m of benevolence and decency,

and enrich myself with honesty.

Emperor Shun is gone forever

Nobody knows my deportment ever.

Saint and sages never appear

correspondingly. Why so, oh dear?

Yu and Tang² are gone,

gone forever many a paragon.

My innermost resentment I restrain.

Strong I try to remain.

Tough troubled I won’t regret.

Posterity will a paragon get.

I’ve scurried and scudded ceaselessly

Dusk sees me at destiny.

My sadness let me release.

for I’m about to decease.

 

Epilogue

Rivers Yuan and Xiang run.

Run forward with vigor uncommon.

My way’s dark and dim.

My future’s gloomy and grim.

Ceaselessly I wail in sadness.

Constantly I sigh in loneliness.

I haven’t a single soul mate.

With whom can I deliberate?

I conduct with honest sincerity

Who’s willing to produce testimony?

Now that Pak Lok’s dead.

Talented minds can’t be read.

Gifted is everybody on earth.

Everyone’s life has a worth.

As of death I’m unafraid.

My determination I’ll keep unswayed.

Endlessly torments me sorrow strong.

It makes me sigh long.

Me the world doesn’t know.

Nothing I can others show.

I’ll die as I must.

My body is just dust.

Oh, you late sages worthful!

You are my role model.

 

Notes:

1. Chui: a master artisan in Emperor Yao’s era.

2. Yu and Tang: = emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty and emperor Tang of the Shang Dynasty.

3. a man of the Spring and Autumn Period who was reputed for being able to spot good horses）