《無題·相見時難別亦難》李商隱 （An Untitled Poem）

《無題(1)·相見時難別亦難》

 李商隱

相見時難別亦難，東風(2)無力百花殘(3)。

春蠶到死絲(4)方盡，蠟炬(5)成灰淚(6)始幹。

曉鏡(7)但愁雲鬢(8)改，夜吟應覺月光寒。

蓬山(9)此去無多路，青鳥(10)殷勤為探看。

 

1.   無題：當詩人不願以題目標出詩的主題，常以“無題”為標題。

2.   東風：春風。

3.   殘：凋零。

4.   絲：與“思”諧音，以“絲”喻“思”。

5.   蠟炬：蠟燭。

6.   淚：蠟燭燃燒時滴下的脂油，比喻人的眼淚。前麵“蠟炬成灰”比喻人死亡。

7.   鏡：作動詞，即照鏡子的意思。

8.   雲鬢(bin4)：一般指女子濃黑而柔美的鬢發。

9.   蓬山：海上的蓬萊仙山。此指想念對象的住處。

10.  青鳥：神話傳說中傳遞消息的仙鳥，為西王母的使者。出自《山海經·大荒西經》。

 

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翻譯對比：
Translators
(a) translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam (No Title)
(b) 林健民譯 (An Untitled Poem)
(c) 卓振英譯 （A Titleless Poem）
(d) 許淵衝譯 （To One Unnamed）

相見時難別亦難，
(a) It’s difficult to meet, yet it’s equally hard to part.
(b) ' Tis excitedly unbearable to meet as well as to depart,
(c) ' Tis hard for us to meet, but separation' s harder still.
(d) It' s difficult for us to meet and hard to part;

東風無力百花殘。
(a) East wind is helpless to avert flowers’ fate from wilting.
(b) Easterly wind weakens while all kinds of flowers faded;
(c) When breezes languish, fall and wither all the flowers will.
(d) The east wind is too weak to revive flowers dead.

春蠶到死絲方盡，
(a) Spring silkworms never exhaust their thread until death.
(b) Spring silkworm died after it ended fibre productions,
(c) The silkworm ceases not to spin her thread before she' s dead;
(d) Spring silkworm till its death spins silk from lovesick heart,

蠟炬成灰淚始幹。
(a) Candles’ tears don’t dry up before they become ashes.
(b) A candle turns to ashes when shedding of tears dries up;
(c) Unless burnt to ashes endless tears a candle' II shed.
(d) And candles but when burned up have no tears to shed.

曉鏡但愁雲鬢改，
(a) Looking into mirror at dawn shows concerns over deteriorating hair.
(b) Looking at morning mirror I worry my temple is changed.
(c) At dawn the mirror may betray your dread of aging hair;
(d) At dawn I' m grieved to think your mirrored hair turns grey;

夜吟應覺月光寒。
(a) Chanting on restless night should feel moonlight chill.
(b) Humming verse at night moonlight appeared to be chilly;
(c) Reciting poems at night I feel the moon' s chill in the air.
(d) At night you would feel cold while I croon by moonlight.

蓬山此去無多路，
(a) It’s only a short distance fairyland is away from me.
(b) As the legendary Mount Fenglai isn' t far from my place,
(c) As Mount Penglai is not very long a distance away,
(d) To the three fairy mountains it' s not a long way.

青鳥殷勤為探看。
(a) I ask an eager blue bird to check it out for me.
(b) I asked the blue bird to convey you my kindest regards.
(c) The Blackbird may be kind enough to you frequent, I pray!
(d) Would the blue bird oft fly to see you on the height!

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