《人间词话》英译（一百二十七）

有明一代，乐府道衰。《写情》、《扣舷》，尚有宋、元遗响。仁、宣以后，兹事几绝。独文愍（夏言）以魁硕之才，起而振之。豪壮典丽，与于湖、剑南为近。<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

During the Ming dynasty the path of yueh-fu went into a sharp decline. Only [Liu Chi’s] Hsieh-ch’ing [chi] (Collection of songs expressing feelings) and [Kao Ch’i’s] K’ou hsien [chi] (Tapping the side of the boat tz’u collection) still retained a lingering echo of Sung and Yuan days. But after the Jen-hsuan Period (1425-35) even these had just about vanished. Hsia Yen alone, with his outstanding talent, appeared to alter the situation. Unrestrained and sublime, yet refined and beautiful, [his poetry] approached that of Chang Hsiao-hsiang and Lu Yu.