顾炎武《白下》英译

顾炎武《白下》英译

白下西风落叶侵，重来此地一登临。

清笳皓月秋依垒，野烧寒星夜出林。

万古河山应有主，频年戈甲苦相寻。

从教一掬新亭泪，江水平添十丈深。

J.P. Seaton 译 

Po-hsia¹

Ku Yen-wu

Fallen leaves, driven by the wind, invade Po-hsia;

Again I’ve come to this place, climbed up for a view.

A reed pipe clear, the moon bright—autumn lingers on the ramparts;

The wilds ablaze, cold stars emerge from the forest at night.

These ancient hills and streams must have a master,

But for years, with spears and armor, we’ve searched hard and long.

Let each of us fill our hands with New Pavilion tears²

And make the river rise at once ten fathoms full.

1. An important garrison town near the ancient Chien-K’ang, modern-day Nanking.

2. I.e., Hsin-t’ing, located in a suburb of Chien-k’ang, where the literati often gathered in the Six Dynasties period to lament the loss of North China to non-Chinese tribal peoples.