The Gorgeous Zither

初三那会儿大家特流行写告别留言簿。我翻遍了唐诗三百首，挑了这首锦瑟放在我留言簿的扉页上。一是觉得这首诗写得很懵懂。虽然那时还不真识愁滋味，青涩的离情别绪也已经泛漾心头。

前天去温哥华唐人街，掏了本唐诗宋词，随手翻开又是这首锦瑟。现在经了些人情世故，读来感觉自然和二十年前不同。但是我当初懵懂的感觉还是对的。这首诗因为太隐喻，向来理解不一。有说是悼念亡人，也有说是诗人怀才不遇，又觉老之将至之感慨。

 

锦瑟

[唐]李商隐

  锦瑟无端五十弦,一弦一柱思华年。 

庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶,望帝春心托杜鹃。 

沧海月明珠有泪,蓝田日暖玉生烟。

 此情可待成追忆,只是当时已惘然

 

我试着翻译成英文，但当看到杨宪益、戴乃迭夫妇的译文时就决定放弃了。细细琢磨，杨，戴的译文真正做到了“信达雅”。

我尤其喜欢“望帝春心托杜鹃”中的”托”字译为“repose”.因为repose除了寄托，托付，还有安息的意思。和望帝化魂化子规的故事相暗合。有的译本用“entrust”,我认为远远没有repose来的贴切。

 

The Gorgeous Zither

By Li Shang-yin (Tang Dynasty)

 

The Gorgeous zither has fifty strings.

Each string, each fret recalls a youthful year.

Master Zhuang woke from a dream puzzled by a butterfly.

Emporer Wang reposed his amorous heart to the cuckoo.

The moon shines on the sea pearls look like tears.

The sun is warm at Lantian the jade emits mist

This feeling might have become a memory to recall

But even then, it was already suggestive of sorrow.