（漢詩英譯）絕句 – 劉基

絕句 – 劉基

 

人生無百歲，百歲複如何？

古來英雄士，各已歸山河。

 

A Quatrain by Liu Ji

 

None can live to be a hundred years old,

A hundred years - so what? What couldst thou hold?

Lo and behold, e’en paragons of yore,  

All to the long green grass, laid bare and cold.

 

V2.

Say “centenarians,” so rare,

E’en to be one, what couldst thou bear?

Those paragons, down the ages,

None can be spared, all laid dire bare.

 

V3.

 

None can outlive a hundred years,

A hundred years - so what? What cheers?

Lo, even paragons of yore,  

To the long green grass, all on biers.

 

V4.

 

None can outlive a hundred years,

A hundred years - so what? What cheers?

Lo, even paragons of yore, 

To the long green grass, laid in tiers.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

21/03/2025