【古诗英译】《听弹琴》唐·刘长卿

无心剑

听弹琴
Listening to Zither
刘长卿
by Liu Changqing

泠泠七弦上，
静听松风寒。
古调虽自爱，
今人多不弹。
On the seven-string zither clear melodious sound flows,
Quietly I listen as if through pines the chill wind blows.
Such a nice ancient melody I wish to enjoy every day,
Yet the present stringed instrumentalists seldom play.

译于2007年6月3日。

The sound of zither is so clear and fine,
Quietly I feel it like chill wind thru pine.
In the old melody I would love to stay,
But nowadays few players would play.
译于2009年12月11日。

【普敬译本】
A seven-stringed zither emits such a cool tone ,
Striking me as if a piercing wind thru pines blows.
Such a sweet ancient melody I cherish at most,
Alas, the nowaday musicians play it at least .

【自娱自乐译本】
A clear voice comes from a zither with seven strings,
Softly the chill sound through pines the breeze brings.  
Such an olden melody that I love more than I can say,
However nowadays hardly ever I would be keen to play.
A clear tune comes from a zither of seven strings,
As if the sound into the pines the chill breeze brings.
An olden melody that I love more than I can say,
Alas, nowadays there's hardly anyone who'd play.
A clear tune by a zither of seven strings,
As if the chill breeze in the pines rings.  
A piece of old music that I love so much,
Alas, now no one would bother to touch.  

【薛湃译本】
Listening to A Lute Tune
The seven-stringed lute sounds so clear,
Like chill wind in pines far away.
It's an old tune I love best to hear,
Yet few people today would play.

【海外逸士译本】
Tinkling, tinkling, from the seven-stringed lyre;
I listen quietly as cold winds rustle pine trees.
Though I love the ancient tunes,
Yet most people nowadays don't play.

琴是我国古代传统民族乐器，由七条弦组成，所以首句以“七弦”作琴的代称，意象也更具体。“泠泠”形容琴声的清越，逗起“松风寒”三字。“松风寒”以风入松林暗示琴声的凄清，极为形象，引导读者进入音乐的境界。“静听”二字描摹出听琴者入神的情态，可见琴声的超妙。高雅平和的琴声，常能唤起听者水流石上、风来松下的幽清肃穆之感。而琴曲中又有《风入松》的调名，一语双关，用意甚妙。
如果说前两句是描写音乐的境界，后两句则是议论性抒情，牵涉到当时音乐变革的背景。汉魏六朝南方清乐尚用琴瑟。而到唐代，音乐发生变革，“燕乐”成为一代新声，乐器则以西域传入的琵琶为主。“琵琶起舞换新声”的同时，公众的欣赏趣味也变了。受人欢迎的是能表达世俗欢快心声的新乐。穆如松风的琴声虽美，如今毕竟成了“古调”，又有几人能怀着高雅情致来欣赏呢？言下便流露出曲高和寡的孤独感。“虽”字转折，从对琴声的赞美进入对时尚的感慨。“今人多不弹”的“多”字，更反衬出琴客知音者的稀少。有人以此二句谓今人好趋时尚不弹古调，意在表现作者的不合时宜，是很对的。刘长卿清才冠世，一生两遭迁斥，有一肚皮不合时宜和一种与流俗落落寡合的情调。他的集中有《幽琴》（《杂咏八首上礼部李侍郎》之一）诗曰：“月色满轩白，琴声宜夜阑。飗飗青丝上，静听松风寒。古调虽自爱，今人多不弹。向君投此曲，所贵知音难。”其中四句就是这首听琴绝句。“所贵知音难”也正是诗的题旨之所在。“作诗必此诗，定知非诗人”，诗咏听琴，只不过借此寄托一种孤芳自赏的情操罢了。

金沙文字

形美 意美 韵美。
flows、blows 传神之笔。

无心剑

金兄谬赞，O(∩_∩)O~

自娱自乐

a clear voice comes from a zither of seven strings
softly the chill sound through pines the breeze brings  
such an olden melody that i love more than i can say
however nowadays hardly ever I would be keen to play

自娱自乐

or
a crisp sound comes from a zither of seven strings
softly the chill voice through pines the wind brings  
such an olden melody that i love more than i can say
however nowadays hardly ever I'd be keen to play

无心剑

自娱兄总是棋高一招啊！
特别喜欢自娱兄第三句译文“Such an olden melody that I love more than I can say ”！

海外逸士

VOICE不能指琴聲。“泠泠形容琴聲﹐不是“冷”。

自娱自乐

For the last line, I rckon it might be better to say 'yet nowadays i am hardly ever requested to play'

薛湃

欣赏诸君佳译，随喜如下：
听弹琴
泠泠七弦上，
静听松风寒。
古调虽自爱，
今人多不弹。
Listening to A Lute Tune
The seven-stringed lute sounds so clear,
Like chill wind in pines far away.
It’s an old tune I love best to hear,
Yet few people today would play.

薛湃

原帖由 自娱自乐 于 2009-12-10 19:35 发表
however nowadays hardly ever I would be keen to play

原帖由 自娱自乐 于 2009-12-11 3:01:00 发表
For the last line, I rckon it might be better to say 'yet nowadays i am hardly ever requested to play'

自娱君，诗中的“我”应该是听琴者，而非奏琴者吧？