李白(701 - 762)
明月出天山,蒼茫雲海間。
長風幾萬里,吹度玉門關。
漢下白登道,胡窺青海灣。
由來征戰地,不見有人還。
戍客望邊邑,思歸多苦顏。
高樓當此夜,嘆息未應閒。
THE MOON OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASS
Li Bai (701 - 762)
The bright moon emerges
from behind Tian Shan1,
Amidst a sea of clouds boundless in its span.
From tens of thousands of miles,
Blows the long-travelling wind
through Yu Men Guan2.
The Hans descended Bai Deng Road3;
The Tartars spied on Qing Hai Wan4.
From battlefields since ancient times,
Returned not a single man.
Warriors gaze at the border town:
Many look miserable,
yearning to return to their clan.
On this night at home in tall houses,
Their loved ones would sigh and sigh...
stop they hardly can.
1 One of the largest mountains in northwestern China.
2 Border pass in ancient northwest China, also known as Jade Pass or Yu Men Guan in Dunhuang, Gansu Province.
3 The original name of this place is Bai Deng Terrace(白登台). This is the place where Liu Bang(漢高祖劉邦), the Emperor of the West Han Dynasty(西漢漢高祖)(B.C. 206 - B.C. 195) was besieged by the tartars for seven days. It is now in the east of Datong, Shaanxi Province.
4 East of Qinghai Province. The tartars (barbarians who made raids on Chinese towns from time to time in ancient times) were still keeping a stealthy watch in Tang Dynasty.
書籍簡介︰首創按原詩韻律押韻,以英語及插畫重塑唐詩之美,有助讀者輕鬆踏出接觸唐詩的第一步。商務印書局
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