刘禹锡·《聚蚊谣》英译

沉沉夏夜闲堂开，飞蚊伺暗声如雷。<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

嘈然歘起初骇听，殷殷若自南山来。

喧腾鼓舞喜昏黑，昧者不分聪者惑。

露华滴沥月上天，利嘴迎人看不得。

我躯七尺尔如芒，我孤尔众能我伤。

天生有时不可遏，为尔设幄潜匡床。

清商一来秋日晓，羞尔微形饲丹鸟。

 

Ballad of the Swarming Mosquitoes

Liu Yuxi

 

[Mosquitoes= corrupt officials, the author being a failed reformer]

 

Hot summer nights

And doors are opened:

Mosquitoes swarm in

In the darkness,

Buzzing, loud.

Buzz, buzz, buzz,

Driving everyone wild,

Swatting

Like thunder

Hammering on the South Hills.

Buzz, buzz, buzz,

Happy in the darkness.

Stupidity can’t understand,

Wisdom grows confused:

Who can see in the dark?

The moon rises,

Dew falls,

And these imperious gnats,

Invisible, sharp-toothed,

Fly right in your face.

I may be a man,

Seven feet tall,

And you only

Tiny bugs,

But you outnumber me,

And I am sadly wounded.

Yet all things have their time.

Who can fight you

As you’re swarming up?

All I can do is hide

Under my netting.

But autumn will come,

And the fireflies,

And they’ll gobble you up,

Every tiny bit,

Every minute piece.

 

（丁祖馨、Burton Raffel 译）