白居易诗

Poems of Bai Juyi


Index

江南遇天宝乐叟

Meeting an old Tianbao Musician in Jiangnan


白头病叟泣且言
禄山未乱入梨园

A white-haired old man sobs and talks to himself:
Back when I was salaried, I performed beneath these pear trees.

能弹琵琶和法曲
多在华清随至尊

I could play the lute and sing and
Often, in splendor, I would follow the king.

是时天下太平久
年年十月坐朝元

In those days, the whole world had long been at peace.
Every year, in October, I would perform at court.

千官起居环珮合
万国会同车马奔

As a thousand nobles gathered to pay their respects,
From every city horses and carraiges rushed to the gathering.

金钿照耀石瓮寺
兰麝熏煮温汤源

Gold coins glittered in the stone urns of temples
Where the fragrance of orchid and musk was boiled into the air.

贵妃宛转侍君侧
体弱不胜珠翠繁

Concubines sweetly clung to every gentleman's side
And no unsightliness marred their bejewelled brilliance.

冬雪飘飖锦袍暖
春风荡漾霓裳翻

Winter snow floated down onto warm brocaded robes
And spring winds swept aside rainbow-colored garments.

欢娱未足燕寇至
弓劲马肥胡语喧

But pleasures could not keep the Huns away
With their strong bows, sleek horses, and Mongol clamor.

豳土人迁避夷狄
鼎湖龙去哭轩辕

Fleeing barbarians, we tore up our ancient roots.
When the king died, you could hear the Yellow Emperor crying.

从此漂沦落南土
万人死尽一身存

From there, we drifted into poverty in the southern dust.
Ten thousand died to keep one man alive.

秋风江上浪无限
暮雨舟中酒一尊

Autumn winds along the river, waves without end,
Rain at dusk, open boats, a wine jug handed round.

涸鱼久失风波势
枯草曾沾雨露恩

Dried fish, long neglect, calamity of power,
Withered grass soaked in tears, more rain, and little kindness.

我自秦来君莫问
骊山渭水如荒村

I came back north on my own, no one asked me to.
The Yellow Emperor's tomb on Wei River was in ruins.

新丰树老笼明月
长生殿暗锁春云

In Xinfeng, the old trees were like a cage round the moon.
The old palace is dark and locked away from spring's clouds.

红叶纷纷盖欹瓦
绿苔重重封坏垣

Autumn covers the roof-tiles in red leaves
And green moss smothers all the ruined walls.

唯有中官作宫使
每年寒食一开门

I'm the only one left in this imperial palace.
Year on year, I fast at its ruined gates.

-- 白居易


废话

The Tianbao era was the reign of Tang emperor Xuanzong (742-756) and ended with the An Lushan rebellion. Bai Juyi wrote this poem in 823. So this is almost seventy years after that era which makes our old musician very old, probably too old to be real. So this poem is, to me, pure art. It is part historic narrative, part dramatic monologue, and part almost music. The lines of the river crossing and its aftermath are a descriptive montage even in the original. There are other places here where Bai Juyi is pushing grammar to achieve effects. But these are not really capturable in translation. Bai Juyi is 51 as he writes this and we are in the final year of the very dim and foolish Emperor Muzong. Things are almost as bad as in the earlier rebellion. If this is a public poem, then Bai Juyi is sending a quiet plea for better government and perhaps using these new artistic ideas to keep a low profile at the same time.

Index