Short Song

By Lu Ji
Translated by yafay

At the hall we feast;
Raising the goblet, I croon a sad song.
How transient life is!               

Like morning frost, it’s swiftly gone.

Elapsed time never comes back;

Withered flowers have no blooming of a second roun'.

Duckweeds flourish in springtime sunshine;

In autumn fragrant orchids belong.

Over the coming days left I fret;

For the many days past I often feel a pang.

Today I am not merry;

A cricket in the house is singing a woeful song.

I am happy because we get together gather,

Grievous because you can't be always aroun'.

Say not you haven't felt do not feel the way I feel-

But to forget about those sorrows you wan'.

You have relished my good liquor,

And the dishes are savory, you have foun'.

To you I present this short song,
Hoping that you'll not feel tonight boringly long.

原文：
短歌行

陆机

置酒高堂，悲歌临觞。

人寿几何，逝如朝霜。

时无重至，华不再扬。

萍以春晖，兰以秋芳。

来日苦短，去日苦长。

今我不乐，蟋蟀在房。

乐以会兴，悲以别章。

岂曰无感，忧为子忘。

我酒既旨，我肴既臧。

短歌有咏，长夜无荒。

两点感受：1. 理解是大问题，汉语功底，尤其是古汉语功底，不扎实。多次查阅《新华字典》小学生版（^__^），还是有不少字句无法准确理解。 2. 韵律的翻译也让人挠头，自我感觉费了（也“废了”）九牛二虎之力，韵倒是勉强押上了，“韵味”却也“尸骨无存”，成了英文的打油诗了。

题外话：本来是不想译，也不敢译的（还没有不自量力到要译诗的地步）。无奈俺家学中文的毛毛太过“凶悍”，硬要赶鸭子上架，俺也是被逼无奈啊！泪奔ing......深夜把俺的译文贴出来，还请各位达人多多指教。小生这厢先行谢过了。

2008-6-29略作修改