離騷（二）

二、

昔三後之純粹兮，固眾芳之所在；

雜申椒與菌桂兮，豈維紉夫蕙芷；

彼堯舜之耿介兮，既遵道而得路；

何桀紂之猖披兮，夫唯捷徑以窘；

惟夫党人之偷樂兮，路幽昧以險隘；

豈餘身之憚殃兮，恐皇輿之敗績；

忽奔走以先後兮，及前王之踵武；

荃不察餘之中情兮，反信饞而齌怒；

餘固知謇謇之為患兮，忍而不能舍也；

指九天以為正兮，夫唯靈修之故也；

初既與余成言兮，後悔遁而有他；

餘既不難夫離別兮，傷靈修之數化。

Translation：

Leave Sores

Ode Ⅱ

There existed three sage kings in the past,

As elite flowers held to them firm and fast.

Peonies and lilies stood along with each other,

And lotuses weren’t barred from one another.

Not only peonies to the clothes are fixed,

As roses and lilies are also mixed.

Lord Yore and Sam always had the right way,

And they were just and never went astray.

How barbarous Jack and Joe used to be;

Choosing the short cut they went loose and free.

Partisans indulge themselves in the dark,

And make the road a narrow blurring arc.

I fear not to me ill stars may occur,

But the royal carriage may go astir.

Following the late sage kings’ traces,

Here and there I mark their long-lost faces.

My Lord cannot sense my real intentions;

He’s furious with me at baseless mentions.

I know in counseling dangers may lurk;

Can I protect myself and fail my work?

I rely on Heaven to be our guide,

And in the Superb I try to confide.

We set to meet when dusk the earth submerged,

But half way in the journey he diverged.

He promised to keep his word on the start,

But changed his mind and decided to part.

Though parting wasn’t such a hard affair,

Sad ’tis to see him as fickle as air.    

                                                           ( 龍靖遙 译)