薛涛·《笔离手》英译

越管宣毫始称情，红笺纸上撒花琼。<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

都缘用久锋头尽，不得羲之手里擎。

A Brush Separated from the Hand

Xue Tao

Reed of Yue and Xuancheng bristles¹

    suit the owner’s pleasure,

On sheets of pink writing paper

    it scattered flowers and gems.

Only due to such long use

    the hairs have lost their point,

And now it won’t be taken up

in the hand of Wang Xizhi.²

1. Reeds from the southeastern region of Yue and wolf or rabbit hairs from Xuancheng in modern Anhui were said to make the finest writing brushes.    

2. The great fourth-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi is here used as a figure for the brush’s owner.

（Stephen Owen 译）