英譯《翩翩》Pianpian, the Fairy ，唯美MV，致敬刀郎

英譯《翩翩》Pianpian, the Fairy ，唯美MV，致敬刀郎

This song sings of the Taoist idea that life itself is more important than worldly successes. In the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (1640-1715) Pianpian is a fairy, who heals a young man who has wasted his health and money in a brothel. She feeds him and changes water to wine with her magic jar and makes him clothes with green plantain leaves. They fall in love and live together in a cave. When another fairy is visiting them, he covets her. His clothes immediately change to leaves. He suppresses his lust, and the leaves change back to clothes. The two fairies make fun of him in a light vein that he should freeze to death. Pianpian continues to treat him well, and they have a son. When the son is 14, he marries the daughter of the other fairy. Life is perfect but he misses his worldly life and goes to visit his hometown with his son and daughter-in-law. When he comes back to the cave, Pianpian is gone for good.

Handan Dream mentioned in the song is another story written hundreds of years earlier than Pianpian. It’s about a poor lad who meets an immortal in an inn on his way to the capital for the national examination. The immortal gives him a pillow, and the lad falls asleep on it while dinner is being cooked. He dreams that he tests into the officialdom and becomes the prime minister. Then he indulges too much in lust and dies early. He wakes up in misery while the dinner is not ready yet. He realizes his endeavor for success is meaningless. Life itself is more important. However, how many men takes this lesson? Very few.

The song is based on these stories but not entirely about them. To test into the officialdom is the most ambitious dream for most Chinese people in the past, and it represents the greatest ambition of most Chinese people even today. In their endless and useless endeavors, how sweet it is to relax once in a while! Don’t they know enjoying life itself is more important than seeking worldly successes and fame? Alas, they don’t. Not even when Pianpian has offered a man such an immortal life, does he not fully appreciate it. Even though Lan Caihe, the immortal, sings on the market about human follies, they do not listen and still seek their stupid dreams.

仙女翩翩挽救富家公子羅生，而羅生仍留戀塵世，仙人藍采和醉歌以及黃粱美夢這些故事我們都熟悉，中文可以簡斷潔說。科考進入官場是中國人自隋唐以來的最大夢想，是代表中國人奮鬥而成功的典型途徑。在這無休止卻往往無效的奮鬥中，睡個懶覺是多麽愜意！但人們往往忘記享受生命本身比追求世俗的成功和名利更重要。很少有人能像盧生那樣經過一枕黃粱而醒悟。哪怕有藍采和的警世醉歌，人們也不聽。甚至有翩翩提供仙人生活，羅生還是脫不了凡俗。

 

《翩翩》

“Pianpian, the Fairy”

誰不是錯過了四下報更的鼓聲
Who has never missed the predawn drum in his slumber?

總有人偷偷撥弄鏡月的指針

Someone always changes the clock hands in his chamber.

罌缶的酒瓶化來綺紈與樓閣

The endless wine changes into fine clothes and a grand house.

綠芭蕉紅櫻桃孑然一身的過來人

Between green leaves and red cherries transits the lone spouse.

 

未曾走到絕境路彼岸花不開

Before getting to the end the bloom won’t be pretty.

辛酸隻為長安遠倒臥在瓊台

Pity is he who falls on the way to Chang’an City!

小心那流射的海市售賣開花杖

Avoid the flower wands sold on the mirage market.

遼遙的天河啊紛紛流淌的挽歌郎

The river of time has washed away many a kid.

 

藍采和啊醉酒當歌

As Immortal Lan Caihe sings intoxicatingly:

紅顏易老轉眼桑田泛清波

The youth is soon gone, the land transforms to the sea.

 

她也曾是越過了銀河萬裏的荒原

Pianpian has transcended the void from the Milky Way.

他也曾是劃破了絢爛流落在人間

The lad has been rich but falls here in rags today.

唯有那不眠的憑欄與情仇依舍

Everyone is gone; only love and hate remain.

是雲搖是雨散都在同一個搖籃

Cloud or rain, all feelings, fall onto the same plain.

 

邯鄲夢啊古今同

Handan dream, alas, is always the same.

榮華易去青山處處英雄塚

The fame and wealth of great men all burn in the flame.

 

藍采和醉酒當歌

As Immortal Lan Caihe sings intoxicatingly:

紅顏易老轉眼桑田泛清波

The youth is soon gone, the land transforms to the sea.

 

2023年9月17日

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdiIMUCJdvU