[转载]苏轼 《卜算子 黄州定慧院寓居作》

卜算子   黄州定慧院寓居作

苏  轼

缺月挂疏桐，漏断人初静。谁见幽人独往来？飘渺孤鸿影。

惊起却回头，有恨无人省。拣尽寒枝不肯栖，寂寞沙洲冷。

Written in  the  Dwelling Place Dinghui Courtyard(1)

at Huang Zhou

By Su Shi 

The waning moon hangs o’er the sparse Chinese parasol tree,

And with the clepsydra breaking off， silence prevails(2) .

The secluded wandering alone to and fro who can see 

But the shadow of a solitary wild goose along trails?

　　

Looking back it finds in surprise

That nobody can understand its woe.

None of all the chilly branches fits perching,

In th' cold desolate desert 't dwells but so. 

                                           ——Translated by Gongjie He

 

Note:

1. According to the historical record this poem was written in 1803 B.C. after the poet was demoted to Huangzhou. Though he lived a hard life with his family, feeling depressed and lonely, yet he was broad-minded. This poem  conveys the poet's  passion through the images, such as 'the fading moon', 'the sparse Chinese parasol tree','the clepsydra' (water clock, hourglass), 'the secluded person', 'solitary wild goose', 'chilly branches' and 'cold desolate desert', all of which forms a desolate world that merges with the poet's own frustrated and solitary emotion. It suggests that the poet is  entirely disappointed, but refuses to yield to the power and authority, so he chooses to live in seclusion.

2. clepsydra: an implement used to measure time in ancient China, equalling hourglass, or water clock. The line means it was now late at night, and silence reigns all around.