蟬賦 – 曹植 （節譯二）

蟬賦 – 曹植 （節譯二）

 

Ode to Cicada by Cao Zhi

 

有翩翩之狡童兮，步容與於園圃。

體離朱之聰視兮，姿才捷於獮猿。

 

Here appears a charming lad,

Rambling into the sacred fruit garden.

His discerning eyes, as the storied Li Zhu had,

It seems his climbs so agile as apes from Arden.

 

條罔葉而不挽兮，樹無幹而不緣。

翳輕軀而奮進兮，跪側足以自閑。

 

He left no twigs or branches unshaken,

No tree left unclimbed - not a single one.

As light as a feather, no step was mistaken,

Now hiding, now kneeling, all perfectly done.  

 

恐餘身之驚駭兮，精曾睨而目連。

持柔竿之冉冉兮，運微粘而我纏。

 

He fears any rustle may startle his prey,

He crouches there, yet his eye hath never lost it,

A slender pole rises carefully on its way,

Its glutenous tip grabs the game - O, that’s kismet!

 

欲翻飛而逾滯兮，知性命之長捐。

委厥體於膳夫。歸炎炭而就燔。

 

It tries to fly away, yet no way can it do so,

It hath realised its life hath come to its descent.

Hence, it succumbs its body to the fire aglow,

Roasted alive, a petty life – just like that, spent.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

(To be revised)

21/07/2024