除夕夜：古诗英译六首

黄景仁·《癸巳除夕偶成》

千家笑语漏迟迟，忧患潜从物外知。

悄立市桥人不识，一星如月看多时。

Sentiments on the New Year’s Eve in the Year Gui-si (1773)

Huang Jingren

Laughter pours from a thousand homes, as the water clock drips and drips—

One learns grief and anxieties in secret, from matters beyond oneself.

Silent and alone, I stand on the market bridge unknown to anyone;

A single star bright as the moon, I watch for a long, long time.

柳无忌

朱孝臧·《鹧鸪天·庚子岁除》

似水清尊照鬓华，

尊前人易老天涯。

酒肠芒角森如戟，

吟笔冰霜惨不花。

抛枕坐，

卷书嗟，

莫嫌啼煞后栖鸦。

烛花红换人间世，

山色青回梦里家。

Tune: Che-ku t’ien

Title: New Year’s Eve in the Year Keng-tzu

Chu Hsiao-Tsang

A cup of wine as clear as water

reflects my temples going white.

With such a cup, away from home

one easily grows old.

The prickly points of my drunken guts

are as terrible as a row of spears.

The poetry brush, icy and frosted,

sadly cannot bloom.

I throw away the pillow and sit up.

I roll up the book and sigh.

I don’t mind

the screaming of the last roosting crow.

The red of candle wax flowers

changes the world where people live.

The green of mountain shining

brings back the home I dream of.

Li Chi and Michael Patrick O’Connor

苏轼·《除夜大雪留潍州，元日早晴，遂行，中途，雪复作》

除夜雪相留，元日晴相送。

东风吹宿酒，瘦马兀残梦。 　　

葱昽晓光开，旋转余花弄。 　　

下马成野酌，佳哉谁与共！ 　　

须臾晚云合，乱洒无缺空。 　　

鹅毛垂马骏，自怪骑白凤。 　　

三年东方旱，逃户连欹栋； 　　

老农释耒叹，泪入饥肠痛。 　　

春雪虽云晚，春麦犹可种。 　　

敢怨行役劳，助尔歌饭瓮。

Caught in Snow

Su Shi

Heavy snow on New Year’s Eve kept me at Weizhou. New Year’s Day dawned clear and I resumed my journey, only to run into snow again.

Snow detained me on New Year’s Eve,

Clear skies speed me on my way on New Year’s Day;

The east wind scatters the fumes of last night’s wine

As I jog along on my lean nag, half dreaming still

In the brilliant morning sunlight,

While a few last snowflakes whirl.

I dismount to drink in the open,

Lacking nothing now but someone to share my wine;

But at dusk clouds gather fast,

The whole air is thick with snow,

Flakes cling like goose feathers to my horse’s mane,

And I marvel to find myself riding a white phoenix.

Three years of drought in the east

Emptied cottage after cottage, whole households fled;

Old peasants cast aside their ploughs and sighed,

Swallowing tears which stung their famished guts.

The snow is late this spring,

But it is not too late to snow spring wheat;

Why complain, then, of the hardships of the journey?

Rather let me sing of your good harvest to come.

中国文学出版社编辑

高适·《除夜作》

旅馆寒灯独不眠，客心何事转凄然？

故乡今夜思千里，霜鬓明朝又一年。

Composed on New Year’s Eve

Gao Shi

Alone in an inn by a cold lamp I stay awake;

One might wonder what is troubling this traveller’s heart of mine.

A thousand li away my people must be thinking of me;

Grey-haired already, I shall be a year older overnight.

文殊、王晋熙、邓炎昌

苏轼·《除夜直都厅，囚系皆满。日暮不得返舍，因题一诗于壁》

除日当早归，官事乃见留。

执笔对之泣，哀此系中囚。

小人营糇粮，堕网不知羞。

我亦恋薄禄，因循失归休。

不须论贤愚，均是为食谋。

谁能暂纵谴，闵默愧前修。

On Duty at Court on New Year’s Eve

Su Shi

On New Year’s Eve, I should go home early.

But am by official duties detained.

With tears in my eyes I hold my brush,

And feel sorry for those in chains.

The poor are trying to make their living,

But fall into the clutches of the law.

I, too, cling to an official job,

And carry on against my wish for rest.

What difference is there between myself

And those more ignorant than I?

Who can set them free for the time being?

Silently I bow my head in shame.

林语堂

孟浩然·《岁末归南山》

北阙休上书，南山归敝庐。

不才明主弃，多病故人疏。

白发催年老，春阳避岁除。

永怀愁不寐，松月夜窗虚。

Returning to the South Mountain at the Year’s End

Meng Haoran

No more petitions will I submit at the north palace gate,

Because on South Mountain my humble hut for me does wait.

As I’m talentless, His Majesty bears me not in mind;

And sickly too, my old friends leave me alone and behind.

My hoary hair urges me on to my declining years;

New Year’s Eve is compelled me to flee as the green spring nears.

I can’t fall asleep, for my heart turns ever with sorrow;

Through the pine needles the pale moon shines on the window hollow.

吴钧陶