Shui Diao Ge Tuo - Su Shi

Shui Diao Ge Tuo
By Mr. Su Dong Po (Mr. Su Shi) (1037-1101) , Song Dynasty Poet
Translated by Laijon Liu

O bright moon, how often do you appear?
I held up the wine cup and asked the gray sky.
Tonight, in heaven's palace,
what is the time and year?

I would ride the wind to go back there,
But I’m afraid of its marble mansions, jade eaves,
That they are too high and too chill.
So I rise and dance, and my shadow swings,
How is this human world compare with yours?

Your circling rosy chambers;
Your lowly curtained gates;
Shine upon the sleepless ones.
And I should not have any complaints,
But why do you shine your fullness in departure times?

Life meet griefs and joys, in departure and reunion;
Moon circles in clouds and fine, in fullness and wanings;
Such things never suit our desire since ancient time.
But I still wish that lovers may live a long life,
And share their grace from thousand miles apart.

Chinese

水(water)調(melody)歌(song)頭(head/lead)
苏(Su)轼(Shi)

丙辰(1076 CE)中秋(Moon Festival)， 歡(happy)飲(drink達(till)旦(sun rise)，
大醉(heavily drunk/intoxicated)，
作(made)此(this)篇(chapter/poem)，
兼懷(miss/think of)子由(Zi You, his young brother)。

明(bright)月(Moon)幾時(what time)有(have/appear),
把(hold)酒(wine)問(ask)青(gray)天(sky)。
不知(Don't know)天(heaven)上(above)宮(palace)闕(hall)，
今(now)夕(time)是(is/are)何(what)年(year)？

我(I)欲(want to/would like to)乘(ride)風(wind)歸去(go back)，
唯(only)恐(afraid)瓊(stone/marble)樓(building)玉(jade)宇(eaves)，
高(high)處(place)不(not)勝(win/over come)寒(coldness)。
起(rise/get up)舞(dance)弄(play)清(clear/chilly)影(shadow)，
何(how)似(like/as)在(at/in)人(people/human)間(space)！

轉(turn/turning)朱(red/rosy)閣(chamber/chambers)，
低(low/lowly)綺(curtain/shade)戶(gate/doors)，
照(shine)無(no/not)眠(sleep)。
不(no)應(shall/should)有(have/with)恨(hate/regret)，
何(how/why)事(matter)長(grow)向(toward)別(departure)時(time)圓(round/complete)？

人(people)有(have)悲(grief)歡(joy)離(departure)合(reunion)，
月(moon)有(has)陰(cloudy)晴(bright/clear)圓(round/waxing)缺(incomplete/waning)，
此(such/this/these)事(matter/things)古(ancient/old)難(difficult)全(complete/full)。
但(but/only)願(wish/hope)人(people/life)長久(long time)，
千(thousand)里(li)共(togehter/share)嬋娟(lover's grace)。

Note:

I really did tumble on translating this, coz I love this poem. And I am afraid of my poor ability, so I did a word for word translation with Chinese, hope readers could see my mistakes for my respect to Mr. Su Shi and his great poem.

According to the note, that this poem was composed in moon festival time (as time of Thanksgiving, a whole family time), the content fits, but I need to inform that this poem that Mr. Su Shi wrote for himself and readers. His younger brother was also a famous poet, that he had not seen for 7 years, so he noted this poem for his brother. Some people may think that he loved his brother in a weird way, but I doubt. Poet send each other their new poem often, just for the love of poem.