海外逸士詩詞文翻譯集

海外逸士

寧可食無肉，不可居無竹。 無肉令人瘦，無竹令人俗。

It’s better to have meals without meat;
But not without bamboo at the abode.
It makes people lean without meat,
But vulgar without bamboo.

海外逸士

章台柳，章台柳，昔日青青今在否？
縱使長條似舊垂，也應攀折他人手。

The willow at Zhang Terrace, the willow at Zhang Terrace,
Is it still there now though it’s green before?
Even if its twigs hang like in the olden time,
It may be snapped by the hand of other people.

海外逸士

再來些海外逸士雙語詩文﹕

無題

時屆清秋菊蟹肥﹐梧桐葉落瘦蟬稀。霜重遠嶺丹楓醉﹐風急江天過雁低。
撫髀長歌寄遙思﹐憑高凝眺對斜暉。曲終四顧無人聽﹐三五歸鴉自在飛。

No Title

It is now clear autumn, chrysanthemums and crabs both growing fat;
Leaves of Chinese parasols fall while lean cicadas are scarce.
Frost heavy on distant peaks and maples red like drunken;
Winds strong over the river in the sky and passing geese fly low.
Stroking my thighs, I give a long chanting to express my ambition;
And getting on high, I have a remote view, facing slanting sunlight.
When my song ends, I look round, finding no one’s listening;
Only three or five returning crows are flying, so carefree.

海外逸士

如夢令

難遣相思春晝﹐易盡玉壺銀漏。夢斷楚山遙﹐但見一天星斗。
春柳﹐春柳﹐柳綠月肥心瘦。

Poem in Tune of Rumengling

It’s hard to get off lovesickness in spring days,
But easy for water clock going thro with a jade pot of wine1.
As my dream stops, the Chu mountain2 is at a distance;
And I only see the sky full of stars.
Spring willow, spring willow,
The willow’s green, the moon fat, and my heart lean.       

[1] It means that when drinking wine, time goes fast.
[2] In Chinese mythology, there was a goddess living on Chu mountain, which is so far away that I can’t go there even in my dream.

海外逸士

一剪梅

一剪玫瑰別樣紅。辭卻花叢﹐獨處瓶中。軒窗朝夕揖春風。不似秋楓﹐勝似秋楓。      
莫為離枝怨蒼穹。緣到相逢﹐故有吾容。芳辰今日屬牛宮。雖曰家窮﹐不違初衷。

Poem in Tune of Yijianmei

A piece of rose is especially red.
Leaving the rose cluster
It stays alone in a vase.
On the sill, it greets spring winds morn and even.
It’s not like the maple in autumn,
But better than the maple in autumn.

Don’t hate Providence for leaving the cluster.
By karma we meet;
So I take you home.
Her birthday today belongs to Zodiac Bull.
Although we are poor,
I must keep to my original wish1.

[1] I promised my wife to give her roses on her birthday.

海外逸士

詠雪

《宋歐陽公曾宴客﹐作詠雪句﹐諱「玉、月、梨、梅、練、絮、白、舞、鶴、鵝、銀」諸字﹐於艱難中出驚奇。余見獵心喜﹐亦仿之﹐並諱「霜、雪、露、花、飄」諸字》

北天雲封烏彤翻﹐驚濤風卷萬竅喧。撒鹽難加千戶味﹐蝶翅欲塞九洲天。老樹沒根柴門淺﹐馬蹄覺重沙路平。東西不辨河與道﹐南北難分陌和阡。漣漪猶起南國澤﹐凝波不被洞庭鱗。雲開遠峰露斑首﹐風來庭樹動香鬟。隔牆好鳥聲不聞﹐園外鄰犬吠正歡。一樽對客小閣暖﹐雙松吟風穹宇寒。酒闌忽起歐公興﹐亦將雅情寄錦箋。

Ode to Snow

(The official E-Yang of Song Dynasty once had a banquet, on which he composed a poem about snow, excluding these words always in description of snow: “jade, moon, plum, silk, catkin, white, dance, stork, goose, silver, etc” He wanted to write a poem out of difficulties. I read his poem and like it very much, and so I imitate his way, further excluding the following words: “frost, snow, dew, blossom, float, etc.”)

Black or red clouds shut out the northern sky, rolling up and down;
The wind churns scary billows1 with sound echoing in pores of the earth.
Heaven spreads salt2, but can’t add flavor to dishes in thousand homes;
The broken wings of butterflies3 will fill the sky of Cathay.
The roots of old trees are covered and bottoms of wooden doors concealed;
The hooves of horses feel heavy in galloping4 and sand roads leveled.
The ways and rivers can’t be distinguished from east to west;
The footpaths through fields are not discernible from south to north.
The ripples, however, still undulate in the tarns of the southern land;
And no frozen waves bury the fishes in Dongting Lake.
When clouds scatter, the remote peaks show their hoary heads;
The wind comes to stir the hair-bun5 on the trees in the courtyards.
The good birds are mute and soundless beyond the walls;
Neighbors’ dogs outside the garden are barking merrily.
I lift my cup to my guests in the small warm pavilion;
Two pine trees in soughing winds and the vault so cold.
Having enough wine, I suddenly have the interest like official E-Yang;
So I also put my poetic emotions on the brocade paper.

海外逸士

遊仙

煌煌金闕之燦燦兮重重宮樓之猗奐﹒巍巍靈霄之嵯峨兮迢迢雲路之超遠﹒
吾駕六鵬之車兮命造父以為御﹒張孔雀之羽蓋兮令精衛而前驅﹒
朝發軔於扶桑兮夕弭節於南門﹒欲陛見以效悃兮忽來巨靈之閽神﹒
彼瞋目而揚鎚兮厲聲以逐余﹒吾躑躅而躊躇兮徘徊而容與﹒
聞鐘鼓之隱隱兮雜絃管之細細﹒聽曼歌之裊裊兮觀輕舞之翩翩﹒
覽昇平之奏章兮知民樂乎稔收﹒既風調而雨順兮宜乎朕躬之忘憂﹒
終巨靈之莫余通兮吾迴車之轔轔﹒恍恍而忉忉兮下見冤骨之嶙峋﹒
余跨青鸞之倏疾兮降於弱水之西﹒誠誠而虔虔兮陟彼崑崙之巔﹒
循山徑之曲曲兮履琨屑之礫礫﹒聞鹿鳴之呦呦兮睽鶴舞之奕奕﹒
紫茵層層而茸茸兮琪艸芊芊而郁郁﹒龍蝶雙雙而對對兮瑤花芬芬而馥馥﹒
朵朵奇葩之艷艷兮棵棵異卉之菁菁﹒簇簇珊木之璨璨兮株株瓊樹之婷婷﹒
登玉砌之瑛瑛兮叩瑣戶之洞洞﹒須臾而門啟兮覿丱角之鶴童﹒
余慕道之渴忱兮願師事於壽翁﹒煩道兄之善言兮余殷殷而打躬﹒
言天帝將震怒兮不敢擅自而授徒﹒爾其返駕兮莫頑拗而兩誤﹒
余忳忳而怏怏兮惸惸以告退﹒是余造之不良兮抑余聰之不慧﹒
余乘艨艟之龐龐兮凌東瀛之茫茫﹒嘆滄溟之浩浩兮望長空之蒼蒼﹒
有凱風之習習兮盪微波之漾漾﹒余掛帆而縱舸兮犁萬頃之泱泱﹒
輝流霞之灼灼兮翱海鷗之悠悠﹒泛金漪之粼粼兮列遠島之浮浮﹒
猝然雲合而冪冪兮起飆風之蕭蕭﹒天冥冥而沉沉兮浪洶洶而滔滔﹒
舟顛簸以上下兮憑驚濤而搖搖﹒感吾身之煢煢兮悲海天之渺渺﹒
風嗥之厲厲兮浪峙之岌岌﹒余舫之險覆兮漂漂而疾疾﹒
忽蓬壺之在邇兮余棄舡而就岸﹒睥岩巒之巉巉兮躡渚沙之暖暖﹒
睨林蔚之深深兮尋芳徑之幽幽﹒聆鶯囀之嚦嚦兮間猿啼之啾啾﹒
泉響潺潺而泠泠兮溪流汩汩而淙淙﹒飛瀑瀰瀰而濛濛兮澄潭灩灩而溶溶﹒
羅赤松而朱榆兮丹杞而彤杉﹒植玄苓而烏蘭兮皂蓼而墨蓮﹒
眄亭台之隱現兮牆垣之掩映﹒眺軒閣之飛雲兮虹棟之留景﹒
瓦碧而琉璃兮階白而琅玕﹒雕水晶之壁兮琢瑪瑙之欄﹒
垂珠璣之簾兮闔琦琚之扉﹒開翡翠之屏兮橫珊瑚之楣﹒
繽麗而絢瑋兮紛彩而迷悅﹒葳蕤而蓊蘢兮芳馨而醉鼻﹒
目仙姬之出沒兮耳鳳簫之吟吟﹒余拾磴級而上兮初遲豫而逡逡﹒
終鼓勇而叩猊環兮乃卑我而肅躬﹒數敲闥而莫余應兮唯跼蹐以對閉扃﹒
余惘惘而俔俔兮御風而西行﹒匆匆以越萬里兮欲謁如來於雷音﹒
瞰平原之漠漠兮田野之蔥蔥﹒睞江河之蜿蜿兮城廓之崇崇﹒
度嶺壑之嶢嶢兮激洪之湍湍﹒睹叢林之森森兮煙嵐之漫漫﹒
過五指山之頂兮遇當方之神祇﹒彼持械以阻進兮曰天帝有禁旨﹒
以釋道之異途兮毋交往以亂事﹒獨忘乎此山之成兮乃化於佛祖之五指﹒
彼惱怒而叱叱兮逐余以戈矛﹒余侘傺而吶吶兮伈伈以受教﹒
余駕慶雲之飄飄兮上兜率之穹穹﹒望寥廓之湛湛兮覺瑞氣之融融﹒
瞥春照之燁燁兮陽和之煦煦﹒悵寰宇之靡極兮余孑孑而踽踽﹒
余叩宮門之蓬蓬兮欲求道於老君﹒忽有聲之嚴嚴兮詈余以妄魂﹒
速速而退匿兮毋罹系獄之苦﹒余觳觫而惶惶兮驚墮於塵土﹒
余騎鯤鯨之碩碩兮欲訪南海之龍王﹒蹈汪洋之漭漭兮破萬里之駭浪﹒
龜相疑余之謀渠兮誡蝦卒以拒余﹒視夜叉之猙獰兮余乃策鯨而後驅﹒
余跨鳳凰之翾翾兮西謁王母於瑤池﹒頃蒞而翔翥兮將降於庭墀﹒
王母令逢蒙兮彎弓而欲射﹒余怛怛而瞿瞿兮即遁避以奮翮﹒
時昏昏而暝暝兮天漸昧以杳杳﹒星寥寥而雲淡淡兮有月輪之皎皎﹒
忽金光熠熠而杲杲兮有霓橋之架空﹒余蹈之而循之兮遂入於廣寒之宮﹒
瞻樓殿之崢嶸兮迴廊之旋折﹒窮廂闈之深邃兮軒榭之開闔﹒
聚雪以為壁戶兮霰雹以為徑砌﹒螮蝀以為樑柱兮銀霞以為屏扆﹒
凝露以為珠簾兮晶霜以為几床﹒堅冰以為欄階兮雲霧以為錦帳﹒
遍宮室之周覽兮莫知姮娥之所在﹒蹤清溪之濺濺兮穿茂林之藹藹﹒
陟高丘之岧岧兮有小亭之翼翼﹒睇素娥之嬛嬛兮唯戚戚而寂寂﹒
喜客至而起迎兮移玉趾之輕盈﹒斌嫵而嬋娟兮嫋娥而娉婷﹒
姣好而婉孌兮婀娜而妍媚﹒姝麗而豔冶兮窈窕而淑美﹒
臉若鵝卵兮膚若凝脂﹒額若螓首兮髮若緇絲﹒
眉若柳葉兮眼若臥蠶﹒口若紅菱兮鼻若瓊山﹒
耳若琁弓兮項若瑾柱﹒臂若嫩藕兮體若玉樹﹒
手若春荑之柔柔兮指若水蔥之尖尖﹒胸凸雙峰之聳聳兮腰擺翠縷之纖纖﹒
袖捲而顯雪肌之肘兮裙短而露天然之足﹒聲出而有鶯語之韻兮氣吐而有麝蕙之馥﹒
實有傾漢之態兮有傾宙之貌﹒天柱崩而地維絕兮伊若嫣然而一笑﹒
詢余何處來兮何為而來﹒既知音之邂逅兮遂傾余之衷懷﹒
余憐嫦娥之寂寞兮渠憫余之孤獨﹒既情同而相惜兮何妨以盡一哭。
彼浼余之毋去兮以相伴而相慰﹒世既莫余親兮願長留而焉歸﹒

Travel in Superworld

The grand golden palace is so magnificent, ho;
Pavilions beyond pavilions are splendid.
The lofty Lingxiao Hall1 is so towering, ho;
The remote way in clouds is so far away.
I ride in the coach drawn by six rocs, ho,
And let Zaofu2 be the coachman.
Spreading the canopy of peacock feathers, ho,
And order Jingwei3 to be my vanguard.
Starting at dawn from Nippon, ho,
Stopping at dusk before the Southern Gate4.
I wish to see Jade Emperor5 to offer my loyalty, ho;
But suddenly comes Juling6, the gatekeeper.
He stares me down, wielding his bronze mallet, ho,
Chasing me off in his fierce voice.
I wander and hesitate, ho,
Roam and rove in a slow pace.
I hear faintly the sound of bell and drum, ho,
Mingling with soft flute and fife.
The emperor listens to songs lingering in the air, ho,
Watches the dance gracefully like the swan.
As he reads the reports of peaceful world, ho,
He knows happiness of people and good harvests.
Now that the wind and rain in timely need, ho,
Sire should be forgetful of all the woe.
Since Juling won’t report to emperor of my visit, ho,
I have my coach driven back, rumbling away.
I’m in reeling mind and low spirits, ho;
As looking down, I see hilly bones of unjust death.
I ride astride the blue phoenix flying so swift, ho,
And land on the west side of Weak Stream7.
Earnest and pious, ho,
I clamber to the top of Kunlun Mountain8.
I follow the zigzag footpath, ho,
And step on the opal gravel a little rugged.
I hearken the belling of deer, so gay, ho,
And behold the dance of storks, spreading wings.
Layers of purple mats of moss so fluffy, ho,
And weird grass so lush and fresh.
The dragon butterflies in pairs and couples, ho,
And amber flowers so aromatic and fragrant.
Every rare bud is so beautiful and colorful, ho,
And each quaint herb is so green and flourishing.
Every group of corals so bright and lustrous, ho,
And each topaz tree so pretty and elegant.
I ascend on granite steps so glossy, ho,
And knock at the marble door so resounding.
The door’s opened in a jiffy, ho,
Looks out the stork page9 with forked hair on pate.
I yearn for Tao10 like thirsty for water, ho,
And desire to be a disciple of God of Longevity.
Throw in some good words for me, Tao Brother, ho,
I bow to him in earnest.
He said Heavenly Emperor will get angry, ho,
Master11 can’t decide to accept disciples by himself.
“You should go back immediately, ho,
And don’t get in trouble for both of us.”
I feel gloomy and unhappy, ho,
And bid him farewell cautiously and respectfully.
Is my fortune so bad, ho,
Or my intelligence quality so low?
I take a ship so huge and gigantic, ho,
And sail on the east sea so boundless.
I admire the ocean so spacious, ho,
And watch the vast sky so blue.
There comes the south wind blowing gently, ho,
The waves undulating slightly.
I put up sails and let the ship run, ho,
Like plowing myriad acres of water so wide.
The afterglow so brilliantly aflame, ho;
The seagulls fluttering so carefree.
The ripples reflect golden specks, ho;
Distant islands afloat on the sea.
The sudden clouds gather so dark and heavy, ho,
The strong winds rise whistling.
The sky’s overcast and pressing low, ho,
The billows run high and surging forth.
My ship rocks and pitches up and down, ho,
Riding on the surfs, shaking side to side.
I feel myself so lonely and solitary, ho,
Overwhelmed at the sea and sky so boundless.
The winds roar so ferociously, ho,
The waves uprise so dangerously.
My ship almost capsized, ho,
But going adrift and swift.
All at once Penghu12 is there, ho;
I moor my ship and go ashore.
Glancing at the cliffs so precipitous, ho,
I set foot on the sands so warm.
Eying the forest so deep, ho,
I explore the scented path so quiet.
I listen to the clear warbling of orioles, ho,
Mixed at times by the gibbering of apes.
A spring bubbling and burbling along, ho,
A stream gurgling and murmuring down.
A waterfall so misty and splashing, ho,
A pond so lucid and tranquil.
Red pines line up with ruddy elms, ho,
Crimson Chinese wolfberry with scarlet fir.
Black Fuling13 planted with coaly orchid, ho,
Sable knotweed with inky lotus.
I peek at pavilions, some seen, some hidden, ho,
And walls vaguely visible among trees.
I look up at flying cloud decoration on pavilions, ho,
And at rainbow-colored beams with sunshine on.
Glazed tiles so green, ho,
Steps of fine stone so white.
Walls of engraved crystal, ho,
And railings of carved agate.
Curtains of pearls hanging, ho,
Doors of jade shut.
Screens of emerald unfolded, ho,
And lintels of coral crosswise.
Gorgeous and superb, ho,
Colorful and attractive.
Luxuriant and verdant, ho,
Whiffs of perfume assailing my nostrils.
Eying goddesses come and go, ho,
And hearing phoenix-decorated flute playing.
I follow the stone steps up, ho,
Vacillating at first, I pace to and fro.
Finally plucking up my courage, I knock at door, ho,
Bowing my head and waiting in esteem.
Knocking several times, but no response, ho,
I feel ill at ease facing the closed door.
I’m absent-minded and awestruck, ho,
Then ride on the wind heading west.
I cross myriad miles in haste, ho,
Would like to visit Buddha in Leiyin Temple14.
I look down at the stretch of plains, ho,
And at the verdure of the fields.
I see rivers crawling away, ho,
And city walls rising up tall.
I fly over steep peaks and deep vales, ho,
Over rapid currents tumbling down.
I behold forests with dense foliage, ho,
Smoke and mists scattering.
I pass the top of Five-Finger Hill15, ho,
And meet the local deity.
He blockades my way with his weapon, ho,
Saying Heavenly Emperor forbids
As Buddhism and Taoism so different, ho,
Don’t have intercourse to make things bad.
Are you so forgetful of the hill made, ho,
From the magic of five fingers of Buddha?
He flares up and scolds me, ho,
Expelling me with a spear.
I feel frustrated and utter no words, ho,
And silently take his reproof.
I mount on the colorful clouds wafting, ho,
Towards Doushuai16 under celestial vault.
I gaze at the vault so clearly azure, ho,
Sensing the atmosphere so pleasant.
I perceive the spring sun so radiant, ho,
The sun shines so warm.
I think of the universe without bounds, ho,
My lone self going round alone.
I knock at the door, “bang, bang,” ho,
Longing to learn Tao10 from Laojun17.
Suddenly comes a voice so stern, ho,
Rebuke me as an unreasonable ghost.
“You should retreat as fast as you can, ho,
Don’t get into a bad fix being in jail.”
I am frightened, at a loss what to do, ho;
I am so stunned falling onto earth.
I ride on a whale so bulky and colossal, ho,
Hoping to visit Dragon King of south sea.
Treading on the ocean extending wide and far, ho,
Darting forth through startling breakers.
The turtle18 suspects me plotting against him, ho;
He tells prawns19 to block my advance.
Noticing the monster20 so ugly and fierce, ho,
I pull my whale to go backwards.
I ride on a phoenix soaring up, ho,
Visiting Queen Goddess21 in west in Jade Pond22.
Arriving and hovering, ho,
The phoenix will land in the courtyard.
Queen Goddess orders Fengmeng23, ho,
To draw the bow to shoot at me.
I am so grievous and awed, ho,
And escape by the strong wings of the phoenix.
Now it’s dusk and twilight, ho,
The sky so dark and gloomy.
Stars so scarce and clouds so thin, ho,
The moon so bright.
A sudden golden light so luminous, ho,
The rainbow bridge spanning the sky.
I step on it and follow it, ho,
Enter the Broad-Cold Palace24.
I observe the pavilions so high, ho,
And corridors so meandering.
I explore the depth of rooms, ho,
Some shut and some open.
Walls and doors of snow heaped up, ho,
Paths and steps of sleet and hail
Beams and pillars of rainbow, ho,
Screens and drapery of silvery afterglow.
Pearly curtains of frozen dews, ho,
Beds and tables of crystalline frost.
Railings and stairs of hard ice, ho,
Brocade canopy of clouds and mists.
I look round in all the palace rooms, ho,
Don’t know the whereabouts of moon goddess.
I trace the lucid brook, babbling along, ho,
Go through the lush woods, so hazy.
I scramble the mound, a little steep, ho,
A small arbor there, with roof corners winged up.
I behold the moon goddess, so beautiful, ho,
Only she’s so sad and taciturn.
Glad to have guest, she rises to meet me, ho,
Moving on her noble toes, so nimbly.
She’s so charming and pretty, ho,
So delicate and attractive.
She’s so lovely and elegant, ho,
So graceful and bonnie.
She’s so chic and gorgeous, ho,
So slender and ladylike.
Her face in the form of goose egg, ho,
Her skin white like congealed tallow.
Her forehead is square-shaped25, ho,
Her hair like black silk.
Her eyebrows like willow leaves, ho,
Her eyes like sleeping silkworm26.
Her mouth like red water caltrop, ho,
Her nose like jade peak.
Her ears shaped like marble bow, ho,
Her neck like jade pillar.
Her arms like tender lotus roots27, ho,
Her body like jade tree trunk28.
Her hands like spring weeds, so soft, ho,
Her fingers like scallions, so pointed.
Her breasts like twin peaks, elevated, ho,
Her waist like emerald thread29, so slim.
Her sleeves tucked up, showing snowy elbows, ho,
Her short skirt revealing her natural feet.
Her voice, when speaking, like singing orioles, ho,
Her breath, when exhaling, having musk scent.
Her pose so pretty, making galaxies crumble, ho,
Her visage so stunning, making universe collapse.
Heavenly props break, earthly ropes snap30, ho,
If she lets out a sweet smile.
She asks me where from, ho,
And why to come.
Now that bosom friends meet, ho,
I pour out my emotions.
I pity her for her solitude, ho,
She sympathizes with me for my loneliness.
Since our feelings are the same, ho,
Why not cry our hearts out?
She asks me not to leave, ho,
So we can keep company and console each other.
Since the world loves me not, ho,
I would fain stay here; why go back?

[1] Lingxiao Hall in Heaven is where the Jade Emperor holds his levee.
[2] Zaofu was the driver for King Mu of Zhou Dynasty.
[3] Jingwei, in Chinese mythology, was a bird that wanted to fill the sea by throwing pebbles into it.
[4] Southern Gate, in Chinese mythology, was the gate to the palace of the Jade Emperor in Heaven.
[5] Jade Emperor, in Chinese mythology, was the ruler in Heaven and on earth.
[6] Juling was the gatekeeper in Heaven.
[7] Weak Stream, in Chinese mythology, was a stream without buoyancy and even a feather would sink on its water. So it was called Weak Stream.
[8] Kunlun Mountain was situated on the west side of the Weak Stream, on which lived the God of Longevity.
[9] The god of Longevity kept a stork as his page, generally called Stork Page.
[10] Tao here meant a kind of magic power to make people immortal.
[11] Master here denoted the God of Longevity.
[12] Penghu was the name of islands in the east sea, where goddesses dwelled.
[13] Fuling is a kind of herb that has some medical quality.
[14] Leiyin Temple was supposed to be somewhere in India, where the Buddha lived.
[15] Five-Finger Hill, in the famous novel “Journey to the West”, the Monkey King was shut up under that hill by the Buddha.  The hill was supposed to form from the five fingers of the Buddha.
[16] Doushuai was the name of the palace in which Laojun lived.
[17] Laojun was a god here. His full name was Taishang Laojun, and also called Laozi, who was the establisher of Taoism.
[18] Turtle, in Chinese mythology, was the prime minister of the dragon king in the sea.
[19] Prawns, in Chinese mythology, were soldiers of the dragon king.
[20] Monster here, in Chinese mythology, was a fighter of the dragon king.
[21] Queen Goddess was the wife of the Heavenly Emperor or Jade Emperor.
[22] Jade Pond was the name of a place in west where Queen Goddess lived.
[23] Fengmeng was a legendary expert in archery.
[24] Broad-Cold Palace was in the moon where the moon goddess lived.
[25] In Chinese idea, the forehead looks pretty when square-shaped.
[26] A girl’s eyes look beautiful like in the shape of sleeping silkworm.
[27] A girl’s arms are deemed beautiful when looking like white tender lotus roots.
[28] A girl’s body has a good figure when shaped like a straight jade tree trunk. Jade here means white and smooth.
[29] Emerald thread is used to describe the thin waist of girls.
[30] In Chinese mythology, heaven was propped up and the four corners of the earth were tied with four ropes.

海外逸士

白雲頌

啊﹐白雲﹐清麗的白雲﹐
像一片悠然的白帆﹐
漂浮在藍天之下﹐
沐浴著金色的陽光。
妳自由自在﹐
漫遊在天際。
妳無拘無束﹐
翱翔在高空。
妳飄呀飄﹐
飄向海天相吻之處。

啊﹐白雲﹐純潔的白雲﹐
像個身穿紗禮服的新娘﹐
在碧空下翩翩起舞。
妳姿態美妙﹐
瀟灑悠雅﹐
緩緩步向那高峰禮台之旁。

啊﹐白雲﹐悠悠的白雲﹐
像一隻湖面上的白天鵝﹐
憩息在碧波之上。
妳沉靜如處子﹐
亮麗如靚女。
像天使般地滑行在日邊。

啊﹐白雲﹐靜靜的白雲﹐
像一朵蓬鬆的棉絮﹐
懸遊在湛藍的晴空。
妳載沉載浮﹐
輕輕蕩漾。
妳躺在微風的懷裡﹐
搖曳生姿。

啊﹐白雲﹐多姿的白雲。
妳變幻莫測﹐
千形百態。
妳幻成蒼狗﹐
幻成蛟龍。
妳聚而為白蓮﹐
散而為綺霞。

啊﹐白雲﹐親愛的白雲﹐
請把我負在妳背上﹐
遨遊四海﹐
去到大地的邊界﹐
去到長天的盡頭。
我仰望日月星辰﹐
我俯視洋洲山川。
我引吭高歌﹐
與天籟氣機相接。
我身心消融﹐
與白雲化為一體

Ode to White Clouds

Ah, white clouds, pretty white clouds,
Like a leisurely white sail,
Floating under the azure sky,
Basking in the golden sunlight.
You so carefree,
Roaming at the verge of the sky.
You so glad at ease,
Hovering high in the air.
You wafting and wafting
To where heaven kissing the sea.

Ah, white clouds, pure white clouds,
Like a bride in a gauze wedding dress,
Dancing under the blue sky;
Your pose so graceful,
So lovely and beautiful,
Gliding slowly to that peak of the wedding dais.

Ah, white clouds, elegant white clouds,
Like a white swan on the lake,
Resting on the emerald ripples.
You so demure like a virgin,
So charming like a damsel,
Like an angel winging at the side of the sun.

Ah, white clouds, quiet white clouds,
Like a bank of fluffy cotton,
Hanging in the sapphire sunny sky.
You slightly undulating,
Gently rocking.
You lie in the embrace of the breeze
Posturing adorably.

Ah, white clouds, multi-posed white clouds,
You so unpredictable.
So changeable in form.
You now in the shape of a dog,
Now transforming into a dragon.
You now gathering as a white lotus,
Now scattering as afterglow.

Ah, white clouds, dear white clouds,
Let me ride on your back, please,
Traveling over the four seas,
To the edge of the good earth.
To the end of the vast sky.
I look up at the sun, the moon, and stars.
I overlook oceans, mountains and rivers.
I sing at the top of my voice,
My breath linking the ether of the universe.
My body and heart
Melting into white clouds.

海外逸士

悼張純如

嗚呼純如﹐英年早逝。哀哉痛矣﹐泣血以祭。憶昔日寇侵華﹐卿尚隔世。金陵血屠﹐是為國恥。而卿雖生美﹐仍為華裔。遠隔重洋﹐心系慘史。是以殫精竭慮﹐數載秉筆。遂成巨著﹐留傳後世。詎料倭寇驚怖﹐頻施威脅。卿情何堪﹐擾亂日滋。一夕驚聞﹐卿已謝世。芳華盛年﹐遽然夭逝。華人獲知﹐皆感痛惜。余雖陌路﹐玉容未睽。悲悼之情﹐實深余懷。故成此文﹐以申哀思。嗚呼痛哉﹐伏維尚饗。

Mourn for Iris Chang

Alas, Iris Chang, you died so young. I bemoan; I lament; I mourn with bloody tears when offering you libation. I recollect the Japanese invasion into China. At that time, you were not born yet. The massacre in Nanking was really the national disgrace. Although you were born in the US, you were the descendent of the Chinese. You lived across the vast ocean, but you were concerned with the tragic history. Therefore, you took great pains engaged in the writing for several years. You finished the great book, which would be handed down to our posterity. Out of expectation, the former Japanese invaders got terrified and kept giving you threats, which led you to the tragedy. One day, all of a sudden, the horrid news spread of your untimely death. You passed away so young and so suddenly when you were enjoying the prime of your years. Chinese people, when knowing it, all mourned for you. Although you were a stranger to me and I never even saw your face, yet my grief is the same, as deep as that of others. That’s why I wrote this to express my lamentation. Alas, this is so sad. Please come to take my libation for you.

海外逸士

祭蟹文

嗚呼蟹兄﹐汝我有緣。行將就釜﹐汝莫我怨。汝雖頂盔貫甲﹐一意橫行﹔我非劍客俠士﹐豈打不平。憶昔碧波清水﹐悠哉游哉﹔如今縛螯縛足﹐無以生還。蓋緣紅白對映﹐色相誘人﹔膏腴脂凝﹐薑香引津。是以饞蟲大動﹐食慾遂生﹔欲不烹汝﹐莫可自禁。古謂匹夫無罪﹐懷璧其罪﹔嗚呼哀哉﹐此汝之謂。烹既已熟﹐請入我腹﹔快矣樂哉﹐得享口福。蟹兄蟹兄﹐伏祈見諒﹔願爾來世﹐速投人胎。蟹魂不遠﹐汝其來饗﹔嗚呼莫怨﹐嗚呼莫哀。

Elegiac Speech to Crab

Alas, Brother Crab, karma brings us together.  You’ll soon go to the wok, don’t hate me. Although you are clad in helmet and armor, and “go sideways” at will, I am not a knight or warrior, and won’t take justice in my hands. Recalling that you swam and crawled freely in blue waves and clear water before; but now you are tied pincers and legs, how can you return alive? It is because your color and beauty’s so tempting with red and white inside in contrast. Your meat’s so tasty and dainty plus the aroma of the ginger, both inviting my saliva. Therefore, my “gluttonous worm”1 within stimulated and my appetite roused. Even if I don’t want to cook you, I can’t keep myself from it now. It was said in the olden time that “a guy at large, though actually unguilty, is deemed guilty for the possession of jade”2. Alas, so sad! That’s what you are. When you are well cooked, please come into my stomach. I’m so happy and glad to enjoy the delicacies. Brother Crab, Brother Crab, please forgive my doing so. I pray that you will turn to be a human in your next incarnation. If your crab ghost is not far away, come to have my libation. Alas, don’t hate me. Alas, don’t mourn.

海外逸士

秋賦

秋之時序以農曆七﹑八﹑九月為期。故八月十五日謂之中秋日﹐乃一秋之中也。否則﹐何以命之為中秋。古人曰﹕“月到中秋分外明”。蓋天高氣爽﹐萬里無雲﹐時當月圓﹐清光愈盛。當此之時﹐聚三五知交﹐會於園中﹐以茶代酒﹐以果當饌﹐清談娓娓﹐戲謔暢懷。亦人生之一大樂事耳。及皓月當空﹐齊仰首視之。李白詩云﹕“小時不識月﹐呼作白玉盤。”東坡詩云﹕“暮雲收盡溢清寒﹐銀漢無聲轉玉盤。”此之謂也。然以余觀之﹐圓月泛光﹐非玉可比。以鏡喻之﹐似較貼切。第鏡能鑒人﹐月不能也。故此喻亦似未妥。暫以存疑。

秋之種種﹐非一言能蔽之。想初秋繼夏﹐暑氣未消﹐時有蒸熱﹐故有秋老虎之謂。方此之時﹐雖曰秋至﹐實仍夏焉。欲省冷氣﹐不可得也。及至稍涼﹐以扇代之﹐始適老伴之意。亦窮書生之無可奈何者。
       
俗謂秋貌多變。時晴時陰者有之﹐時風時雨者有之。至若秋雨綿綿﹐連日不開﹐陰鬱之氣﹐侵人脾胃。天公不作美﹐郊遊之興﹐為之阻抑。故而呼朋招友﹐會於堂室﹐持螯飲酒﹐吟詩作對。至於微雨賞菊﹐別饒情趣。庭階玉砌﹐菊花羅列﹐水珠汗滴﹐嬌姿臨風。其樂如斯﹐不亞登高。余雖不餐秋菊之落英﹐亦插黃花於衣。
       
及至秋深露冷﹐衣被加厚。花落葉黃﹐隨風起舞。或蟬鳴漸稀﹐悲時令之嬗遞。或蛩聲轉哀﹐知寒冬之將臨。唯吾輩俗士﹐於化土之前﹐亦感時不我待﹐遂強吟悲秋之句曰﹕

一年虛度又臨秋﹐回首人生半是愁。老去何堪功不就﹐無奈日日醉鄉遊。

Essay on Autumn

The period of autumn comprises the seventh, eighth and ninth moons in lunar calendar. So the fifteenth date of the eighth moon is Mid-Autumn Day, the middle of autumn. Or, how can the day be named as Mid-Autumn Day? An ancient poet said, “The moon is specially bright at Mid-Autumn.” Because the sky looks so vast and the air is so cool as there are no clouds for a myriad miles, the moon grows round, and its brightness is to its full. At such a time, gathering of three or five bosom friends, meeting in the garden, drinking tea instead of wine, eating fruits instead of dishes, having a heart-to-heart talk, and joking to the utmost content, all those are great pleasures in life. When the moon rises to the zenith, all present look up at it. Li Bai had lines: “Not knowing the moon when very young, I call it a white jade plate.”  Su Shi said, “As dusk clouds cleared, the sky's overflowed with cool light. And noiselessly the Jade-Plate moves in Milky Way.”  That’s what they described.  But in my opinion, the full moon with bright light should not be compared to jade. It’s more suitable to compare it to the mirror. However, the mirror can reflect images, but the moon can’t. So this comparison is still not appropriate. Let it take the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
       
All conditions in autumn can’t be covered in a word.  Methinks, just at the beginning of autumn succeeding summer, the heat won’t entirely recede, and so sometimes, it can be still hot. It is called Indian summer. At such a time, though it is autumn, yet it is really still summer. If I want to save some expense on air-conditioning, I suffer the failure. As it turns a little cool, I use fans instead, which is just what my wife wishes for saving energy. This is what a poor scholar can do.
       
They say that aspects of autumn are changeable: sometimes fine, sometimes cloudy, sometimes windy and sometimes rainy. When autumn rains keep in endless fall for days, the coolness in the air will steal into human body. Since Heaven acts nastily, our touring enthusiasm is dampened. Therefore, I have to call my friends to meet me in my house. Then we eat crabs and sip wine while we chant poems and write couplets. And it is particularly interesting to watch chrysanthe-mums in drizzles. The chrysanthemums are arranged on the marble steps of the courtyard, with raindrops like sweat dripping. They stand in the wind, looking so graceful. The enjoyment in this is no less than when we get on hilltops. Although I don’t eat the fallen petals of the chrysanthemums, I stick the yellow flowers on my coat.
       
When in late autumn, even the dews are cold. I put on more clothes and quilts. The blossoms are falling and the leaves turning yellow, dancing in the wind. The chirping of the cicadas is scarcely heard. They also lament at the change of the seasons. Even cheeping of the crickets sounds sad as if they know there will soon be the advent of the chilly winter. As for those vulgar scholars like me, they also feel that time won’t wait for anyone before their bones turn to dust. I, thereby, compose a poem about grievous autumn:

I’ve spent another year for nothing, and now autumn comes again;
When looking back in my life, half of it consists of sorrow.
How can I bear, as now aging, that I’ve achieved nothing?
So I cannot but give myself up in the drunken land everyday.

海外逸士

《浮生六記》延陵氏後序

渺乎其遙哉﹗天道悠悠﹐莫之能窺。慨世事蒼黃﹐浮生若夢。悲江水長逝﹐雪鴻無蹤。孤雁哀鳴﹐白首難期。夭桃摧絕﹐紅顏命乖。海棠麗質﹐遭風雨之妒嫉。萍草無根﹐歷漂泊之艱辛。方魚水之相得﹐效鸞鳳而于飛﹔詎料連理枝折﹐堪嘆魂夢難接。何物造化﹐播弄眾生。既生佳人情重﹐才子意長﹔不與良辰久享﹐美景共賞。窮困潦倒﹐誰言大任將降﹖淚枯心瘦﹐豈是淑閣情暢﹖自古好事多磨﹐天意難問﹔蒼皮百圍﹐地力虛載3。篷瀛無路4﹐玄海有邊5。和靖6安在﹐嗣宗7往矣。傷伊人之玉隕﹐徒留佳話。哀蕙蘭之香消﹐豈忍卒讀。數言未盡﹐筆灑墨淚。四韻吟成﹐聲轉哀咽。詩云﹕

淡月搖寒焰﹐涼風透素衣。秋侵人影瘦﹐霜染菊花肥。
悲去鴛衾冷﹐啼來杜宇悽。泉台冥路斷﹐何處芳魂歸﹖

Postword1 of Yanlingshi2 on “Six Chapters of Floating Life”3

So far, far away!  Providence is at a tremendous distance; no one can learn its will. I sigh for world events so changeable and the floating life like a dream. I grieve for the river water flowing away forever and wild geese gone without leaving any trace on snow4.  Like a bereft goose crying so melancholy, her life mate can’t live till their hair grows white.  Like pretty peach blooms being destroyed, the fate of the beauty is so lamentable.  The Chinese crabapple is so delicate and suffers from the envy of winds and rains.  The duckweed is rootless and so experiences all hardship of floating and roaming.  Just as they get along like fish in water or like phoenixes flying side by side, unexpectedly, however, the intertwined boughs of twin trees are broken5 and they sigh for being unable even to meet in dreams.  What is Heaven that plays tricks on humans?  Now that the fair lady is born with deep love and the man of letters with pure affection, why not let them enjoy good time forever and view beautiful scenery together?  Who said that a man in poverty and destitution is destined for great tasks6?  Should the affection of a lady end in her tears running dry and her heart becoming lean?  Since the ancient time, good things always undergo tribulations. It’s difficult to ask Heaven why they should be as they are. Old black tree bark with the circumference of a hundred feet, the ground supports it in vain7.  There’s no way to Pengying8, but the Bitter Sea9 has bounds. Where is Hejing10 now? And Sizong11 is long gone.  I mourn for the death of the lady; her story remains, but what’s the use? I grieve that she died like the orchid withering with no more fragrance left.  I cannot bear to finish her story. When these words have not expressed what I have to say, my pen is dripping with tears of ink.  As I finish the writing of the eight lines, my voice in chanting becomes melancholy.  My poem goes as follows:

The flame of the candle sways in the pale moonlight;
The cool wind permeates her thin dress.
Autumn intrudes and her shadow gets meager;
Frost dyes the chrysanthemum so fat12.
As she’s sadly gone, the quilts are left cold.
And cuckoo’s cry sounds so sorrowful.
Since the gloomy road to Hades discontinued,
Where does her sweet ghost return to?

[1] Postword is coined from foreword.
[2] Yanlingshi is the classical style of the surname of the writer.
[3] “Six Chapters of Floating Life” is a book like an autobiography by Shen Fu of Qing Dynasty.
[4] In a poem by Su Shi of Song Dynasty, Su said that a wild goose flying away would leave a trace of its clawprints on the snow, which means that when people died, they would leave something behind.
[5] This came from a story. A king wanted the beautiful wife of a man to be his concubine, but she refused. The king killed the man and the wife pretended to agree. After she had a bath, she jumped down from a high tower and died. The king found on her a note begging to bury her and her man together. The king, nevertheless, had them buried separately on either side of a stream. Then two trees grew out of their tombs and the boughs intertwined with each other.
[6] This was a saying from Mencius, but here was used in a question.
[7] 化自東坡詩句“無用蒼皮四十圍”。This is from a line in a poem of Su Shi, “The useless green bark with the circumference of forty feet”. It means that the timber is too big to be useful, implying that a man of great talent is often not used by authorities.
[8] 蓬瀛即是蓬萊仙山。Pengyin denotes islands of the fairyland in the east sea.
[9] 玄海即苦海。苦海無邊﹐回頭是岸。但苦海是有邊的。The Bitter Sea means the life. The limits of the Bitter Sea is the end of life.
[10] 和靖指宋代杭州孤山隱士林逋。Hejing was the hermit Lin Bu of Song Dynasty.
[11] 嗣宗指三國時魏人阮籍。Sizong was the man of letters Yuan Ji of the Three Kingdoms period.
[12] These two lines are taken from the original book, not written by this writer.

海外逸士

敦煌賦

敦煌古鎮﹐壁畫之鄉。絲綢舊道﹐地接西疆。馬駝商旅﹐東達咸陽。華夷物易﹐賴此以昌。且又北通戈壁﹐南枕崇岡。沙漠綠域﹐曾居戎羌。畫岩窟洞﹐傳自盛唐。偉哉敦煌﹐華夏之光。千窟百穴﹐瑰寶是藏。但見飛天在壁﹐彩繪呈牆。金璧輝映﹐藍白紅黃。至若女神翔舞﹐綢帶飄颺。背彈琵琶﹐仙音嘹揚。壯哉敦煌﹐九洲之芳。莫高榆林﹐萬像是彰。菩薩神佛﹐均著彩裝。土塑石雕﹐群氓所創。千姿百態﹐各呈其相。坐立站臥﹐莫不有方。佛兮佛兮﹐頂輝聖光。菩薩諸神﹐莊重安詳。敦煌故地﹐亦曰陽關。玉門要塞﹐戍者難還。王維詩曰﹕“西出陽關無故人”。之渙亦云﹕“春風不度玉門關”。故而聞“三疊”之離曲﹐遂悲吟而淚潸。而今汽車如龍﹐鐵路已通。藍天白雲﹐飛機橫空。喜古城之新顏﹐樂街市之繁榮。招旅客之熙攘﹐暢東西之交融。噫吁嘻﹗微斯地﹐吾孰可思夢﹖

Essay on Dunhuang

Dunhuang is an ancient town, the land of the cave paintings. It was also the Silk Way then to the western regions. The caravans of horses and camels came eastward through it to Xianyang. Therefore, the development of the trade between old China and western states depended on this thoroughfare. It could lead north to Gobi desert and south to the high mountains. It is the oasis in deserts. The Jiang Clan once lived here. The rock paintings in the caverns are handed down from the prosperous Tang Dynasty. How great is Dunhuang, the glory of China. In thousands of the grottos are stored such treasure. Sky-fliers are seen on the rocky walls and also the other colorful paintings. They look splendid in blue, white, red and yellow. The goddesses hover and dance, the long bands on their dress tracing in the air. Some play lutes on the back, the fancied celestial music resounding. Magnificent is Dunhuang, the wonder of Cathay. In the caves of Mogao and Yulin6, thousands of statues are conspicuous. Buddhas and gods are painted in multi-colored garments. The sculptures in stone were all engraved by common people. The statues are in various postures, all showing different features. Some standing, some sitting or lying, all arranged as planned. Buddhas have halo behind heads and gods look so stern and serene.
       
The old town Dunhuang was also named Yang Pass. Another name was Jade Gate Pass, a border town at that time. Soldiers guarding the place were not easy to return home alive. Poet Wang Wei had a line: “West across Yang Pass, there are no friends.” Another Poet Zhihuan said, “The Spring wind never crosses the Jade Gate Pass.” That’s why, when hearing the parting song of “Three Refrains of Yang Pass”, poets would chant in sorrow with tears down.
       
But now, cars come and go incessantly, and railways are already in service. In the blue sky and under white clouds, airplanes shuttle over it. Glad that the old town puts on a new face and happy that the streets look so prosperous. It invites the travelers there in hustle and bustle and brings west and east together in harmony. Ah! If not of this place, which town can I think or dream?

海外逸士

陳君傳

夫諸海之中唯情海之風波獨多耳。甜酸苦辣﹐五味畢具。悲歡離合﹐七情齊備。其情事之可憫可嘆者﹐可悲可喜者﹐令人感之深焉。陳君者﹐余所善一翁之友也﹐乃富賈子。其女友乃文氏女也﹔父營二廠﹐家道殷實。是歲﹐陳年弱冠逾四。滬地淪陷已三載。某日﹐陳偕其女友赴舞會。主人待客深周。盤列中西名點﹐杯泛牛奶咖啡。舞歇歌繼﹐言笑歡洽。至餐時﹐佳餚堆盆﹐盛饌載席。酒映燈影﹐箸響碟銀。或姆戰﹐或戲謔。餐畢復舞﹐夜闌始散。人影離亂﹐互道晚安。陳與女友出﹐適一街車緩駛而來。陳止之求載﹐乃入。前座尚有一人。陳意乃駕車者之友而搭乘也﹐不之怪。車遂駛去﹐幾經拐彎﹐至“法大馬路”而東﹐背道馳也。陳始驚愕﹐問之不答。再問﹐答曰﹕“惜命﹐閉嘴。”車至外灘﹐驟止﹐推陳出車。載女過外白渡橋而去﹐至新雅酒家﹐時為日寇軍官俱樂部也。置女一室﹐備受凌辱﹐終日思陳﹐淚無已時。陳目車逝﹐狂呼不得﹐痛哭而歸。是夜﹐寢不寐﹐旦即起﹐奔告女家﹐舉宅悲慟。女父遣人四出尋訪無著。陳亦舉城求之而不得﹐愁緒縈懷﹐鎮日鎖眉﹐寢食不思﹐衣帶漸寬。其母哀之﹐勸其別娶。陳莫之聽﹐冥求更急﹐舉動若狂。如是者數年﹐終不知女之所在。至寇降﹐女始歸家﹐備言其狀﹐聽者酸鼻﹐各盡欷歔。陳聞女歸﹐急趨其家﹐欲一傾相思之情。女拒不見﹐令婢傳言云“玷辱之軀不堪以奉君子。願君別娶﹐勿復為念。”陳堅欲見之﹐對曰﹕“卿之所受﹐余盡知之﹐可憫可諒。此非卿之過矣。余心如舊﹐卿勿見拒。”且責之以盟誓。俟於客室三日不去。女感其意﹐乃見之﹐遂偕秦晉。翁今歿矣。唯陳君伉儷存否﹐余莫知之。然其情事堪歌堪泣。余故傳焉。

A Tale of Mr. Chen

Well, of all the seas, the sea of love has the most gales and billows1. Sweet, sour, bitter, hot, there are all five tastes. Sorrow, joy, parting, meeting, there are all seven feelings. All the happenings are pitiable, sighable, woeful or blissful, touching deeply the hearts of readers. Mr. Chen was the friend of an old gentleman I knew. He was the son of a rich merchant. His girlfriend was Miss Wen, who came from a wealthy family, too. Her father owned two factories. That year, Chen was twenty-four years of age. Shanghai had been occupied by the Japanese army for three years. One day, Chen took his girlfriend to a dance party. The host gave excellent entertainment to the guests. Plates were filled with all sorts of refreshments of both Chinese and Western styles. Cups gleamed with coffee and milk. When dancing was in recess, singing ensued, mixed with gleeful chatting and laughing. At dinner time, tables were loaded with dainties and plates heaped with delicacies. Wine in cups reflected lamp light and ivory chopsticks clinked with silver dishes. Some played finger-guessing games and some made jokes. Dancing resumed after dinner. The party ended at midnight. The human shadows were overlapped in hustle and bustle. People bade each other farewell.
       
Chen left with his girlfriend. Just then, a taxi came slowly. Chen signaled it to stop and asked for a ride home. They went into the back seats. There was a man in the passenger seat in the front. Chen guessed that he must be a friend of the driver for a ride, too. He didn’t think that it was unusual and weird. The taxi sped forth. After a few turns on the way, it reached Consulate Road2, toward east. It went just in the opposite direction. Chen got scared and inquired about it. When he asked again, he got an answer, “Shut up if you don’t want to die.” Then, all of a sudden, the taxi stopped as it reached the Bund. They pushed Chen out of it and accelerated across the Garden Bridge with the girl still inside. The taxi parked outside Xinya Hotel, which was then a military club of the Japanese army. The girl was shut up in a room and lived in disgrace. She thought of Chen day and night in endless tears.
       
Chen witnessed the taxi speeding off and couldn’t chase it. He shouted after it in vain and had to return home, weeping bitterly. That night, he was sleepless. Early in the morning, he rushed to the home of the girl and told her parents about it. The girl’s household cried. Her father sent out his people in quest of her everywhere, but in vain. Chen himself also searched for her all over the city. He sank into great agony, knitting his brows all day long. He neglected his sleep and food, his clothes becoming loose by degrees day in and day out. His mother felt sorry for and sympathized with him. She advised him to marry another girl, but he wouldn’t listen and kept in quest of her all the more eagerly. He behaved like a mad man. Thus, a few years elapsed. No one knew where the girl was.
       
After the surrender of Japan, the girl at last returned home and told her family all about her sufferings. The listeners were all painfully moved and wept with compassion. When Chen learned her return, he hurried to her home, in hopes to express his lovesickness, but the girl refused to see him, sending down her maid with the words, “My sullied body doesn’t deserve your love any more. You should marry elsewhere and think of me no longer.” Chen persisted in seeing her, saying, “I know all your sufferings. It only deserves pity and sympathy. It’s not your own fault. My love for you is still the same. Please, come down and talk to me.” Furthermore, he resorted to the blame of her forgetfulness of their vows. He waited in their living room for three days. The girl was greatly touched and came down to meet him. Then they united in holy matrimony. Now the old gentleman passed away; so I am not in a position to know whether the couple is alive or not. However, their story is so plaintive and so touching. Therefore, I wrote this tale.

海外逸士

什麼是人生﹖What is life?

人生有奉獻。人生有獲取。當你作了奉獻﹐你可以有所獲取。當你有了獲取﹐你必須作出奉獻。只有奉獻而不要獲取的人是大聖人。只要獲取而不作奉獻的人是自私人。人生有歡樂。人生有痛苦。當你痛苦時﹐請你回憶歡樂。當你歡樂時﹐請你記住痛苦。只有歡樂而沒有痛苦的人是有福人。只有痛苦而沒有歡樂的人是苦命人。人生有成功。人生有失敗。當你成功時﹐你須當心失敗。當你失敗時﹐你可期待成功。只有成功而沒有失敗的人是幸運人。只有失敗而沒有成功的人是不幸人。人生有希望。人生有失望。當你希望時﹐別忘了失望。當你失望時﹐請保持希望。只抱希望而不在乎失望的人是樂觀人。只見失望而不相信希望的人是悲觀人。人生有健康。人生有疾病。健康時防着有病。生病時爭取健康。終身健康而從不生病的人是幸運人。一生有病而從不健康的人是不幸人。人生有發財。人生有貧困。有錢時須想到會淪為乞丐。貧困時或許會突然暴發。終身有錢而從不貧困的人是前世修的。終身貧困而從無長物的人是前生作孽。人生有得意。人生有失意。當你得意時﹐可能會失意。當你失意時﹐可能會得意。只有得意而沒有失意的人是天之驕子。只有失意而從不得意的人是落魄文人。

Life is to give. Life is to get. Once you make tribute, you can have gain. Whenever you gain, you must contribute. It is a saint to contribute only and refuse to gain. It is a selfish person to want gain only without making tribute.
        There's joy in life. There's pain in life. When you are in pain, please recall joy. When you are in joy, please remember pain. It is a blessed person always in joy without pain. It is a bitterly-fated person always in pain without joy.
        There's success in life. There's failure in life. When you succeed, you must ware failure. When you fail, you can expect success. It is a lucky person always in success without failure. It is an unlucky person always in failure without success.
        There's hope in life. There's disappointment in life. When you have hope, don't forget disappointment. When you are disappointed, please keep hope in mind. It's an optimist always having hope and caring not for disappointment. It's a pessimist always looking at disappointment and not believing in hope.
        There's health in life. There's disease in life. When you are healthy, beware of disease. When you are sick, strive for health. It's a lucky person always healthy without disease. It's an unlucky person always sick without health.
        There's fortune in life. There's poverty in life. When you have money, think you may become a beggar. When you are poor, you may suddenly be an upstart. It's a person of good deeds in last reincarnation having money all life without poverty. It's a person of evil behavior in last reincarnation being poor all life with nothing in possession.
        There's complacence in life. There's frustration in life. When you are complacent, you may be frustrated some day. When you are frustrated, you may be complacent some day. It's the son of Heaven always complacent without frustration. It's a downhearted man of letters always frustrated without complacence.

海外逸士

《書》Books

我游泳在書籍的海洋裡﹐浸泡在知識的水珠間。我在學問的波濤上載沉載浮﹐在古籍的深淵裡潛進潛出﹐竊取那典墳秘學。書是智慧的源泉﹐寂寞的慰藉﹐是無聊時的伴侶﹐煩悶時的消遣。

古人曰﹕“書中自有黃金屋﹐書中自有顏如玉。”可惜十年寒窗﹐仍是一介窮生。王朝已滅﹐功名不再。如玉可期﹐聊以自慰。憶古人苦讀﹐春夜鑿壁﹐夏夜囊螢﹐秋夜照月﹐冬夜映雪。至于懸樑椎股﹐枕木書沙﹐始成一代名人。

“書到用時方恨少”。平時勤讀﹐用時有餘。“讀書千遍﹐其義自明”﹐“讀書破萬卷﹐下筆如有神”﹐乃古人之至理名言。且他山之石﹐可以攻玉。他人之書﹐可為我鑒。讀書﹐小者可陶冶情操﹐修身養性﹐大者可齊家治國﹐以平天下。

“書有未曾經我讀”。書海浩瀚﹐畢生難窮。故莊子曰﹕“吾生而有涯﹐吾學而無涯。以有涯度無涯﹐殆矣。”然而明知學如煙海﹐豈能望而卻步。在世一日﹐求知一日。“朝聞道﹐夕死可矣。”

I swim in the ocean of books and soak among the water drops of knowledge. I float on the waves of learning and dive in the abyss of ancient publications, to steal the precious editions and mystic erudition. Books are the source of wisdom, solace in solitude, companion in boredom, and pastime in idleness.

The ancients said, “There are houses of gold in books. There are beauties like jade in books.” What is the pity is that I am still a poor scholar after ten years of studies under the cold window. Dynasties are all gone and no tests for officialdom can be taken. But a beauty like jade can be expected for my self-consolation. I recall the ancients in arduous reading, like the one chiseling through the wall in the spring night, the one putting fireflies in a thin silk purse in the summer night, the one sitting in the moonlight in the autumn night, and the one using the reflection of light from snow in the winter night. As to the one with long hair tied to a string hanging from the beam, the one pricking his thigh with an awl, the one pillowing on a log, and the one using sands as paper, they became men of renown through hardship.

“When in use, you'll regret that books being read are too few.” If reading all the time, when in use, you'll feel books being read are more than you need. “Read a book for thousand times, the meaning will be as clear as day.” “Read through ten thousand volumes, when writing, it's like with a magic pen.” These are the maxims of the ancients. Moreover, a stone on the other hill can be made to be my jade. Books of other people can be borrowed for my use. Book reading, in a personal sense, can nurture one into calm disposition and good virtue, and in a larger sense, can  make one's family harmonious and the country be run well, and bring peace to people under heaven.

“There are still books I haven't read.” As the sea of books is so vast, no one in his life can explore it to the end. Therefore, Zhuangzi said, “My life has an end, but my learning without end. It's impossible to use my limited life for the endless learning.” However, how can I halt at the view, clearly knowing the field of learning is like a vast smoky sea? When I live for a day, I must learn on the day. “If learned the truth in the morning, it's all right to die in the evening.”

海外逸士

英詩中譯

1) Counsel to Girls
Robert Herrick ( 1591-1674)

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
   Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day,
   Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious Lamp of Heaven, the Sun,
   The higher he's a-getting
The sooner will his race be run,
   And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
   When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst,
   Times, still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time;
   And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
   You may for ever tarry.


勸女于歸

采采薔薇﹐及彼未萎﹔日月其邁﹐韶華如飛。
今夕此花﹐灼灼其姿﹔翌日何如﹐將作枯枝。
朝暾炘炘﹐燦若天燈﹔其光熠熠﹐載耀載昇。
彌高其行﹐彌短其程﹔日中必昃﹐言曛言暝。
年當破瓜﹐妙齡之佳﹔精血方盛﹐及春歲華。
一旦虛度﹐將自怨嗟﹔韶華如舊﹐爰征以遐。
勸汝莫羞﹐及花仍稠﹔采之拮之﹐覓一良儔。
韶光易逝﹐歲月難留﹔良辰一誤﹐永無好逑。

海外逸士

To my Love----Sonnet #18
William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


致余所愛

我欲將君比夏晝﹐君更嬌艷更媚柔。疾風吹搖五月蕾﹐夏日苦短行矣休。
時或驕陽何炎炎﹐常見金烏遭遮掩。美人之美易消逝﹐偶失天奪亦可憐。
君之長夏永不逝﹐君之花容能久駐。閻羅終未拘君去﹐不朽君因不朽句。
世間有人人能閱﹐我詩長存君并存。

海外逸士

Dirge of Love
William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
Come away, come away, Death,
And in sad cypres let me be laid;
    Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
        O prepare it!
My part of death no one so true
        Did share it.
    Not a flower, not a flower sweet
On my black coffin let there be strown;
    Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown;
A thousand thousand sighs to save,
        Lay me, O where
Sad true lover never find my grave,
        To weep there.
愛之輓歌

無常爾來矣﹐置我於柩床。一息已云絕﹐殺我乃姣娘。
麻絰及紫杉﹐速備慎毋忘。無人愛我深﹐乃肯殉我亡。
竟無一好花﹐撒余靈柩旁。竟無一良朋﹐弔余埋骨場。
不須為余泣﹐葬余在遐荒。親友無覓處﹐免其徒哀傷。

海外逸士

Psalm of Life
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
        Life is but an empty dream! —
    For the soul is dead that slumbers,
        And things are not what they seem.
Life is real !   Life is earnest!
        And the grave is not its goal;
    Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
        Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
        Is our destined end or way;
    But to act, that each to-morrow
        Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
        And our hearts, though stout and brave,
    Still, like muffled drums, are beating
        Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
        In the bivouac of Life,
    Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
        Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
        Let the dead Past bury its dead!
    Act,— act in the living Present!
        Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
        We can make our lives sublime,
    And, departing, leave behind us
        Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
        Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
    A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
        Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
        With a heart for any fate;
    Still achieving, still pursuing,
        Learn to labor and to wait.

生命篇

悲句莫我示﹕浮生虛若夢。魂睡實猶死﹐事非表像同。
吾生誠且真﹐其終豈丘墳。土生雖土歸﹐言身非言魂。
無歡亦無愁﹐命途非必達。為人須自強﹐翌日勝今日。
有涯度無涯﹐吾心雖壯勇﹔亦吟蒿里行﹐行行向丘塚。
此世等疆場﹐此生如逆旅。願作英豪爭﹐勿若牛被驅。
莫信未來樂﹐逝者任往休。自強須及時﹐心正神上佑。
前人豐功著﹐吾人亦可爾。身後留業跡﹐與時共磨移。
跡或他人留﹐苦海揚帆行﹔沉舟倖活者﹐見之為振奮。
吾儕須奮發﹐窮通莫在意。慘淡創宏圖﹐應知勤以俟。