楚歌的变奏 Variations on the Song of Chu

老瓦

楚歌的变奏
Variations on the Song of Chu


遣自西南角的黥布的队伍
包围住垓下一方
歌声拖长了麾旗的影子
歌声，几乎吞没楚国的大河
可他们仍然无从明白
屠城后将会剩余些什么
值得三十岁以后的壮年们
随日暮而结伴追逐

As General Qing’s troops, dispatched from the southwest flank
were to besiege the city of Gaixia,
long shadows of army banners were hurling afield amid their singing,
the singing that nearly engulfed the grand river of Chu.
But the soldiers arrived there with no clue
about what would ensue after the massacre was over,
that would still tempt the men in their thirties
to trail the sunset and chase off one after another.

禾穗以命，织桑为梦的女人
那一瓢弱水做的手臂
仰剑回望滔滔乌江
南岸故里起舞的紫苏
与刚阳血气相生
亦相克于多胆汁的黄土——
霸王啊，若你再见到我时
就见到我的头骨

That woman had been sowing for life, weaving for dreams.
Her arm, born out of feeble water, now raised a sword
and leaned back toward the roaring Wu River.
Across from the native land on the south, the dancing perilla flowers
were flourishing with virile power, yet infighting with
the yellow earth enriched by black bile ---
O my Overlord, the next time shall we meet,
you’re to see only the bare skull of me.

策马赶至溪边的韩信
褪下鹖冠，锦纹的虎袴
只为甄别尘土和功名的洗礼       
所有的咒语都漂浮在水面
黥布的、彭越的，甚至张良的
一圈咬缠着一圈
疑似通往仙国的旋梯
转眼又成坠入鱼腹的钩饵
尽管他仍然无从明白
洗礼后将会剩余些什么
值得三十岁以后的壮年们
随日暮而结伴追逐

Mounted Marshal Han sped to a creek,
rolling off his feathered hat and tiger-leathered robe,
just to be baptized away from the vanity of worldly pursuits.
Surfacing on the water were ripples of curses
for General Qing, General Peng, and even for Minister Zhang,
all tangled together that appeared
like staircases leading up to the heaven,
or baits swallowed down to fish bellies at next instant.
Yet he arrived here with no clue
about what would ensue after the ritual of baptism,
that would still tempt the men in their thirties
to trail the sunset and chase off one after another.

星光

这首诗，有气魄，喜欢! :)

云天

“禾穗以命，织桑为梦的女人
那一瓢弱水做的手臂
仰剑回望滔滔乌江
。。。 ”

“虞兮虞兮奈若何”.  “四方楚歌声”.
水边绽放一枝虞美人，摇曳哀凄的美艳，露珠是她明眸中曾落下的血泪。。。


“一圈咬缠着一圈
疑似通往仙国的旋梯
。。。
洗礼后将会剩余些什么
值得三十岁以后的壮年们
随日暮而结伴追逐”

老瓦的诗流动着韵律， 孕含着思索。有味。

duxinxin

我一直都很喜欢老瓦的诗！

jj1111

老瓦好诗。不过那句“霸王啊，若你再见到我时
就见到我的头骨”写“禾穗以命，织桑为梦的女人
那一瓢弱水做的手臂”的女儿们，似乎有点阴森。用美一点的词来反衬呢？

老瓦

谢楼上各位。

jj, 革命就不怕断头，阴森也是无奈，改起来恐怕有点难：）

老瓦

加上翻译稿，多谢朋友们的指点。


**************************
Variations on the Song of Chu


As General Qing’s troops, dispatched from the southwest flank
were to besiege the city of Gaixia,
long shadows of army banners were hurling afield amid their singing,
the singing that nearly engulfed the grand river of Chu.
But the soldiers arrived there with no clue
about what would ensue after the massacre was over,
that would still tempt the men in their thirties
to trail the sunset and chase off one after another.


That woman had been sowing for life, weaving for dreams.
Her arm, born out of feeble water, now raised a sword
and leaned back toward the roaring Wu River.
Across from the native land on the south, the dancing perilla flowers
were flourishing with virile power, yet infighting with
the yellow earth enriched by black bile ---
O my Overlord, the next time shall we meet,
you’re to see only the bare skull of me.


Mounted Marshal Han sped to a creek,
rolling off his feathered hat and tiger-leathered robe,
just to be baptized away from the vanity of worldly pursuits.
Surfacing on the water were ripples of curses
for General Qing, General Peng, and even for Minister Zhang,
all tangled together that appeared
like staircases leading up to the heaven,
or baits swallowed down to fish bellies at next instant.
Yet he arrived here with no clue
about what would ensue after the ritual of baptism,
that would still tempt the men in their thirties
to trail the sunset and chase off one after another.

云天

老瓦好译，欣赏了！


禾穗以命，织桑为梦的女人
That woman had been sowing for life, weaving for dreams.

我或许会译作：
living on sowing, dreaming upon weaving
the lady....