洛神賦 – 曹植 （節譯）

黄初三年，余朝京师，还济洛川。古人有言：斯水之神，名曰宓妃。感宋玉对楚王神女之事，遂作斯赋。其辞曰：(对楚王 一作：对楚王说)

　　余从京域，言归东藩，背伊阙，越轘辕，经通谷，陵景山。日既西倾，车殆马烦。尔乃税驾乎蘅皋，秣驷乎芝田，容与乎阳林，流眄乎洛川。于是精移神骇，忽焉思散。俯则未察，仰以殊观。睹一丽人，于岩之畔。乃援御者而告之曰：“尔有觌于彼者乎？彼何人斯，若此之艳也！”御者对曰：“臣闻河洛之神，名曰宓妃。然则君王之所见也，无乃是乎！其状若何？臣愿闻之。”

　　余告之曰：其形也，翩若惊鸿，婉若游龙。荣曜秋菊，华茂春松。髣髴兮若轻云之蔽月，飘飖兮若流风之回雪。远而望之，皎若太阳升朝霞；迫而察之，灼若芙蕖出渌波。穠纤得衷，修短合度。肩若削成，腰如约素。延颈秀项，皓质呈露。芳泽无加，铅华弗御。云髻峨峨，修眉联娟。丹唇外朗，皓齿内鲜。明眸善睐，靥辅承权。瓌姿艳逸，仪静体闲。柔情绰态，媚于语言。奇服旷世，骨像应图。披罗衣之璀粲兮，珥瑶碧之华琚。戴金翠之首饰，缀明珠以耀躯。践远游之文履，曳雾绡之轻裾。微幽兰之芳蔼兮，步踟蹰于山隅。于是忽焉纵体，以遨以嬉。左倚采旄，右荫桂旗。攘皓腕于神浒兮，采湍濑之玄芝。(芙蕖 一作：芙蓉)

In the third year of the Huangchu Reign, when returning from the capital amain, I halted by the Luo River on my way. An ancient saying quoteth: “the spirit of this river is hight Fufei.” Inspired by Song Yu's parable of “the Faery trysts the Prince of Chu,” a rhapsody hence I did brew. It goes as follows:

The spellbound capital, out of my mind,

I was hying east, back to my fief.

Anon I left Yi Que and Huan Yuan behind,

Through Tong Valley, the passing was brief.

Atop the Jing Mountain that was admired,

The sun began to slant towards the west,

My wagoner and I were weary, and eke horses tired,

So, we halted by the fragrant shore for a rest.

The horses were grazing in the field close by,

Leisurely, in Sunny Forest, we began our stroll,

The Luo River, therefore, caught our eye,

Thereupon, it stirred my soul,

My spirit, it did also dumfound,

My thoughts scattered in flight.

Gazing down, I saw nothing around,

Gazing up, I discerned an amazing sight.

By a cliff, I beheld a belle so rare,

At once I asked the wagoner of mine,

"Didst thou see her? Who is she, so fair?"

He replied, “once I heard a fable divine,

It was about the Luo River’s faery, hight Fufei,

Could it be her that my lord hath seen?”

“What doth she look like? Describe her...” O I pray,

“She looks elegant as if a startled swan, a soaring queen,

As graceful as a dragoness in dance.

She shines like autumn chrysanthemum proud,

Like the vernal pines, she blooms to trance,  

Her mien is like the moon clad in cloud.

Like the snow-in-wind, she swirls,

From a distance, she looks like the morning glow.

Up close, like luminous lotus-in-water whirls,

A perfect-proportioned figure she doth show.

Neither too full nor too slender,

Neither too tall nor too short sans grace

As if carved, her shoulders are of splendour,

Her waist as if bound by a white silk lace.

Her neck slender and long, her eyebrows curved,

She needs no adornment, fair as snow is her skin.

No rouged face, with cloudlike hair piled high as observed,

Her lips red, her teeth white, as they gracefully grin.  

Her eyes are bright and expressive,

Her cheeks like fresh roses.

Her beauty is unworldly, indeed impressive,

Her demeanour serene as she poses.

Her voice sweet but not softy,

Unparallelled is her attire.

Her appearance divinely lofty,

She wears a dazzling robe as if carrying fire.

On her head she wears gold and green jade,

Her garment adorned with luminous pearls.

Of embroidered satin her shoes are made,

Her light skirt trailing like mist that curls.

She exudes the exquisitely faint

Fragrance of orchids, far and wide.

Back and forth, she would fain haint

Along the mountainside.

Suddenly, she leaps up and begins to frolic and play,

Leaning against a banner of feathers on the left,

Beneath a laurel flag on the right as her sheltering bay,

At times, she stretches out her fair arms, so deft,

Picking black Ganoderma from the rapid stream.

At her beauty, my joyous heartbeats raced like slaves,

My spirit was restless, alas, who’d help fulfill my dream?

I could only share my thoughts with the gentle waves.

Tr. Ziyuzile

(To be revised)

15/07/2024