《水调歌头明月几时有》的五种英文译本

　　《水调歌头 - 明月几时有》英译一：

　　The Midautumn Festival Tune:

　　“Prelude to Water Melody”

　　How long will the full moon appear?

　　Wine cup in hand, I ask the sky.

　　I do not know what time of the year

　　It would be tonight in the palace on high.

　　Riding the wind, there I would fly,

　　Yet I’m afraid the crystalline palace would be

　　Too high and cold for me.

　　I rise and dance, with my shadow I play.

　　On high as on earth, would it be as gay?

　　The moon goes round the mansions red

　　Through gauze-draped window soft to shed

　　Her light upon the sleepless bed.

　　Why then when people part, is the oft full and bright?

　　Men have sorrow and joy; they part or meet again;

　　The moon is bright or dim and she may wax or wane.

　　There has been nothing perfect since the olden days.

　　So let us wish that man

　　Will live long as he can!

　　Though miles apart, we’ll share the beauty she displays.

　　(by Xu Yuanchong)

　　《水调歌头 - 明月几时有》英译二：

　　Prelude to Water Ripple (Song)Su Shi

　　“When shall we have a bright moon?”

　　Holding up a wine cup I queried the Blue Heaven:

　　“Tell me, in the celestial palace up so high

　　What year in its annals is tonight. “

　　I’d like to ride the wind and go there

　　But was afraid it would be too cold up on high

　　In rose to my feet and danced with my own shadow.

　　‘Twas not too bad down here!

　　The moon turned round the vermilion penthouse,

　　Casting its beams down through the lattice windows

　　And shining on the sleepless.

　　It need not evoke sadness, you know,

　　But why is it always so bright when the loved one’s away?

　　We all have joys and sorrows, partings and re-unions.

　　The moon, it’s phases of resplendence,

　　Waxings and wanings—

　　Nothing in this world is ever perfect.

　　I wish a long life to us all.

　　Then, owever far apart we are

　　We’d still be sharing the same enchanting moonlight.

　　(By Gong Jinghao)

　　《水调歌头 - 明月几时有》英译三：

　　How rare the moon, so round and clear!

　　With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,

　　“I do not know in the celestial sphere

　　What name this festive night goes by?”

　　I want to fly home, riding the air,

　　But fear the ethereal cold up there,

　　The jade and crystal mansions are so high!

　　Dancing to my shadow,

　　I feel no longer the mortal tie.

　　She rounds the vermilion tower,

　　Stoops to silk-pad doors,

　　Shines on those who sleepless lie.

　　Why does she, bearing us no grudge,

　　Shine upon our parting, reunion deny?

　　But rare is perfect happiness--

　　The moon does wax, the moon does wane,

　　And so men meet and say goodbye.

　　I only pray our life be long,

　　And our souls together heavenward fly!

　　(by Lin Yutang)

　　《水调歌头 - 明月几时有》英译四：

　　Watery-Prelude-Melody

　　In the Chinese Moon Festival, (the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month), 1077, I fuddled my cap until dawn and wrote this while thinking of my brother Zi Youh.

　　by Su Shi (1036-1101)

　　How many times will the full moon rise?

　　Upholding a cup of wine, I ask the blue sky.

　　Tonight I wonder which year is passing by

　　In the heavenly paradise.

　　With the wind, I’d like to go there;

　　I’m afraid it’s too cold in the sky

　　With the jade-palace being too high.

　　Dancing to play with a cool shadow

　　Is analogous to our human world?

　　The moonlight is over my red corridor,

　　Looking at my gorgeous door;

　　Why I’m sleepless, I wonder.

　　Don’t blame on the moon any more;

　　Why does it turn full when we are farewell?

　　Man will vary with vicissitudes of life

　　The full moon alternates the crescent, rain or shine.

　　Nothing has been perfect since the ancient time.

　　However, may you live a long life;

　　The moon we share across 1000 miles.

　　[Tr. Manfield Zhu]

　　《水调歌头 - 明月几时有》英译五：

　　Thinking of You

　　When will the moon be clear and bright?

　　With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky.

　　I don’t know what season it would be in the heavens on this night.

　　I’d like to ride the wind to fly home.

　　Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me.

　　Dancing with my moon-lit shadow

　　It does not seem like the human world

　　The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors

　　Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge

　　Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?

　　People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart

　　The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane

　　This has been going on since the beginning of time

　　May we all be blessed with longevity

　　Though far apart,

　　We are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

　　(By Shun-Yi Lee in 1998)