Back
Featured image of post LangZi: We never fear the path ahead, long and dark | 浪子:我們從來不怕道路黑暗漫長

LangZi: We never fear the path ahead, long and dark | 浪子:我們從來不怕道路黑暗漫長

诗歌原文

我們從來不怕道路黑暗漫長

浪 子
我們從來不怕道路黑暗漫長
微笑著出發,哪怕兩手空空
一去不返。在未知的城市
我們像人群一樣孤立,散播
走失的消息,森林被砍伐
荒原被耕種,熾熱的心靈
一再被冰封。冒著無端的青春
或毀滅的危險,我們擁有
另外的一些,卻彷如負傷的大雁
從不知往何處飛翔
那些輪回所映照的,自由的歌聲
成為可能的歸途,在黑暗中升騰
徜徉,發出含糊的夢囈:我們
從來不怕道路黑暗漫長


译文 | Translation

We never fear the path ahead, long and dark

A poem by Lang Zi (The Vagrant), in memory of Liu Xiaobo

We never fear the path ahead, long and dark
smiling as we set out, hands empty
never to return. In strange cities
we stand alone like crowds, disseminating
lost messages, forests cut down
waste lands tilled, the flame in our heart
once and again sealed with ice. Risking blind youth
or destruction, some other things
we do possess, yet like wounded vagrant birds
we know not whither to take flight
Illuminated by the wheel of samsara, is the song of freedom
that becomes a viable way home, in the dark it transcends
and wanders, in dreams it murmurs: We
never fear the path ahead, long and dark


Misc

Translator’s note

The title image is an empty chair, the symbol of commemorating Liu Xiaobo.

My personal favorite line is Illuminated by the wheel of samsara, is the song of freedom. This is also the reason why I decided to translate this poem.

Most difficult line for me is Risking blind youth / or destruction, whose ambivalent meaning via Zeugma is hard enough to convey even without its possible hidden reference to a poem from Li Shangyin that speaks of wistful nostalgia of distant youthful years. Here are some of the translated versions of Li Shangyin’s poem: Ornate Zither.

All suggestions and discussions are welcome, in the hope that my translation may one day do the original poem justice.

译后记

最喜欢的一句是「那些輪回所映照的,自由的歌聲」,也是它让我下定决心翻译这首诗。

最让我迟疑的是「冒著無端的青春 / 或毀滅的危險」,这一句仿佛召来「锦瑟无端五十弦」的回声,很难在不破坏全诗韵律的情况下简洁地暗示一个可能的典故指涉,并且同时传达出轭式修饰法 / Zeugma 的暧昧原意。

虽然水平有限,但有译版总比没有好嘛!权当抛砖引玉,欢迎讨论和建议。


References

Image source: Photo by Allec Gomes on Unsplash

comments powered by Disqus
Built with Hugo
Theme Stack designed by Jimmy
© Licensed Under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0