【古诗英译】《题帕三绝》清·曹雪芹

无心剑

题帕三绝
Inscriptions on the Handkerchief

曹雪芹
by Cao Xueqin

眼空蓄泪泪空垂，
暗洒闲抛却为谁？
尺幅鲛绡劳解赠，
叫人焉得不伤悲？
Tears shed from tearful eyes in vain,
For whom do my tears secretly flow?
To send me the kerchief you take pain,
But how could I conquer my sorrow?

抛珠滚玉只偷潸，
镇日无心镇日闲。
枕上袖边难拂拭，
任他点点与斑斑。
Tear after tear, I weep secretly in sorrow,
Indolent about everything the whole day.
O the tearstains on my sleeve and pillow,
Let them be for being hard to wipe away.

彩线难收面上珠，
湘江旧迹已模糊。
窗前亦有千竿竹，
不识香痕渍也无？

How can a colored thread string teardrops on my face!
The remains by Xiang River are vague far from grace.
A good many bamboos also grow before my window,
Whether they are stained by my tears I do not know.

译于2008年11月10~19日。

抛珠滚玉只偷潸，
镇日无心镇日闲。
枕上袖边难拂拭，
任他点点与斑斑。

I let my tears stealthily flow
To idle away the whole day.
They fleck sleeve and pillow,
So hard to be wiped away!

译于2009年12月17日。

彩线难收面上珠，
湘江旧迹已模糊。
窗前亦有千竿竹，
不识香痕渍也无？

The rosy thread cannot string teardrops on my face;
The remains by the Xiang River blur in recent years.
Before my window so many bamboos sway in grace;
I do not know whether they are stained by my tears.

译于2009年12月14日。

【自娱自乐译本】

眼空蓄泪泪空垂，
暗洒闲抛却为谁？
尺幅鲛绡劳解赠，
叫人焉得不伤悲？
Tearful eyes shed tears in vain,
Who am I secretly sobbing for?
A kerchief sent to ease my sore,
How can I veil my tearstain?

Tearful eyes shed tears in vain,
For whom do I stealthily weep?
A silk gift from you to rid my pain,
Yet how can I stem grief so deep?

抛珠滚玉只偷潸，
镇日无心镇日闲；
枕上袖边难拂拭，
任他点点与斑斑。
My tears secretly grow and flow,
All day long forgetful and listless.
Tearstains on sleeves and pillow,
Such a higgledy-piggledy mess.
彩线难收面上珠，
湘江旧迹已模糊。
窗前亦有千竿竹，
不识香痕渍也无？

The colored thread can hardly glean teardrops from my face;
My memory about days by the Xiang River becomes unclear.
Before my windows also stand bamboos with many a trace,
I wonder if they would ponder what stains them is my tear.
中国有一古诗曰：“不写情词不写诗，一方素帕寄心知。心知拿来颠倒看，横也丝（思）来竖也丝（思）。”这是一首情诗，写的是男女双方互表心意。

自娱自乐

Wow, wuxin, hehhe, you are absolutely phenomenal!

童天鉴日

欣赏的一首

无心剑

hehe, I am waiting for your better version.

金沙文字

无心剑加盟，译坛幸事也.............................

自娱自乐

暗洒闲抛却为谁？ ----- For whom do my tears secretly blow?
这个看来还得用‘flow',不能用’blow'
如果说‘nose' 的话，'blow' ok.

金沙文字

各位：老娱头意见一贯..................！

自娱自乐

如果第一二首都采用ABAB的话，那么我个人认为第三首最好也是ABAB.

自娱自乐

vain ----> certain 眼韵？

自娱自乐

原帖由 无心剑 于 2009-12-13 17:27:00 发表
hehe, I am waiting for your better version.

hehe, no way! Honestly, you are simply the best!