Friday, April 11, 2014

Kubla Khan (Chinese Translation) 忽必烈汗

忽必烈汗  Kubla  Khan
原作诗人:塞缪尔•泰勒•柯勒律治  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge(英国)
中文译者:  Laijon Liu 2014.04.11

(或是,一个梦中的幻像,一个断

忽必烈汗御上都,
宣召宏建乐游宫。
艾弗圣河清流涌,
穿出幽洞落苍琼。
五五英里肥沃土,
壁塔林立抱四周。
内置菀苑溪曲曲,
芳木生烟簇簇
又有古林伴丘岭,
艳阳斑斑郁郁葱。

!婀娜蜿蜒深峡壑,
斜斜纵下青杉岭。
此狂野之地!亦神,亦幻,
好似盅惑月钩下,
痴女嚎哭其魔煞情郎!
混混沸沄险壑谷,
地喘绵绵气嘘嘘。
浩瀚潜源急汇处,
飞溅炸喷时时歇。
巨块腾洒如雹冰,
或似农枷拨碎谷。
乱石翻舞齐飞旋,
顷刻泼出圣河流。
悠悠蜿蜒五里姿,
穿林越谷圣河涌。
涌入玄洞深不测,
喧嚣沉寂黯海中。
水流滚滚夹微音,
忽必烈王侧耳听。
微音渐远似哼唱,
先祖兆预去讨伐
   
   圆圆宫顶清倒影,
   漂漂游荡绿
   滴滴悦耳玄妙音
   叮咚对唱泉洞间。
如此神奇幻妙的工匠,
如此灿烂辉煌的宫顶,
和那层层冰晶的洞天!

   在幻觉中我曾看到
   一个手抚木琴的少女
   她是阿比西亚的姑娘
   弹拨着她的木琴,
   吟唱着阿柏拉山颠
   若我能够重新描绘
   她的曲调和歌声,
   让我再次深深陶醉
在她高昂婉转的乐曲中,
我就把那圆圆的宫顶建在空中,
那灿烂的宫顶,那层层冰晶的洞天!
听到的人们都会看到,
并且他们都要呼喊,当心噢!当心噢!
看他那闪烁的眼睛,看他那飘游长发!
用缠身的咒法将他连划三圈
再闭上你的双眼,心守敬畏
因为他已喂过那蜜汁甘露,
因为他已喝过天堂的乳浆。

Note:
I love this poem, years ago read it but couldn’t translate it perfectly to Chinese, perfectly meaning the translation must be read like Chinese Poetry in both rhythm and flow of sense, and I read 4 translations by famous scholar translators, not very satisfied for their text accuracy and lack of poetic feel, not their fault, but this is really a strange poem, difficult in structure and sense, sound and image woven perfectly thru sense of its drive, that’s a reason the very famous Romantic Poem not read heard by Chinese, so I must pick up the duty of translation(because my native Chinese still much better than My Style English that I’m trying to create) and I make sure this translation is the best, most musical, accurate, my product fits Samuel’s original poem in his mazy motion spirit.
The first half of this poem is in Classical Chinese poetry form, and second half (It was a miracle of rare device...) in Modern Chinese form that fits poet’s melody and mood shift.

Yellow highlighted character is not in the original poem:

 And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
水流滚滚夹微音,忽必烈王侧耳听。
微音渐远似哼唱,先祖预示征战

this part should be done as:

And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
水流滚滚夹微音,忽必烈王侧耳听。
微音渐远似哼唱,先祖兆预去讨伐

now the 3 Chinese characters fit the English word "War!" with shouting emotion.

此译诗献给我的母亲父亲。

--- English and Chinese verse by verse ---

忽必烈汗 Kubla Khan
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
translate to Chinese by Laijon Liu 20140411

(Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.)
(或是,一个梦中的幻像,一个

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
忽必烈汗御上都,宣召宏建乐游宫。
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
艾弗圣河清流涌,穿出幽洞落苍琼。
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
五五英里肥沃土,壁塔林立抱四周。
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
内置菀苑溪曲曲,芳木生烟簇簇
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
又有古林伴丘岭,艳阳斑斑郁郁葱。

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
!婀娜蜿蜒深峡壑,斜斜纵下青杉岭。
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
此狂野之地!亦神,亦幻,
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
好似盅惑月钩下,痴女嚎哭其魔煞情郎!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
混混沸沄险壑谷,地喘绵绵气嘘嘘。
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
浩瀚潜源急汇处,飞溅炸喷时时歇。
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
巨块腾洒如雹冰,或似农枷拨碎谷。
And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
乱石翻舞齐飞旋,顷刻泼出圣河流。
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
悠悠蜿蜒五里姿,穿林越谷圣河涌。
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
涌入玄洞深不测,喧嚣沉寂黯海中。
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
水流滚滚夹微音,忽必烈王侧耳听。
微音渐远似哼唱,先祖兆预去讨伐

   The shadow of the dome of pleasure
   Floated midway on the waves;
   圆圆宫顶清倒影,漂漂游荡绿
   Where was heard the mingled measure
   From the fountain and the caves.
    滴滴悦耳玄妙音叮咚对唱泉洞间。
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!
如此神奇幻妙的工匠, 
如此灿烂辉煌的宫顶,和那层层冰晶的洞天!

   A damsel with a dulcimer
一个手抚木琴的少女
   In a vision once I saw:
在幻觉中我曾看到
   It was an Abyssinian maid
她是阿比西亚的姑娘
   And on her dulcimer she played,
弹拨着她的木琴,
   Singing of Mount Abora.
吟唱着阿柏拉山颠
   Could I revive within me
若我能够重新描绘
   Her symphony and song,
她的曲调和歌声,
   To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
让我再次深深陶醉
That with music loud and long,
在她高昂婉转的乐曲中,
I would build that dome in air,
我就会把那圆圆的宫顶建在空中,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
那灿烂的宫顶,那层层冰晶的洞天!
And all who heard should see them there,
听到的人们都会看到,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
并且他们都要呼喊,当心噢!当心噢!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
看他那闪烁的眼睛,看他那飘游长发!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
用缠身的咒法将他连划三圈
And close your eyes with holy dread
再闭上你的双眼,心守敬畏
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
因为他已喂过那蜜汁甘露,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
因为他已喝过天堂的乳浆。

--- English ---

Kubla Khan
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.)

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

   The shadow of the dome of pleasure
   Floated midway on the waves;
   Where was heard the mingled measure
   From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

   A damsel with a dulcimer
   In a vision once I saw:
   It was an Abyssinian maid
   And on her dulcimer she played,
   Singing of Mount Abora.
   Could I revive within me
   Her symphony and song,
   To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.