<Header>
<Author: 杜甫>
<Title: 古柏行>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1987>
<BookName: 300 Tang Poems: A New Translation>
<Translator: 許淵冲, 陸佩弦, 吳鈞陶>
<TranslatedTitle: The Ancient Cypress>
<BookPage: 178-179>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
孔明廟前有老柏，
柯如青銅根如石。
霜皮溜雨四十圍，
黛色參天二千尺。
君臣已與時際會，
樹木猶爲人愛惜。
雲來氣接巫峽長，
月出寒通雪山白。
憶昨路繞錦亭東，
先主武侯同閟宮。
崔嵬枝幹郊原古，
窈窕丹青戶牖空。
落落盤踞雖得地，
冥冥孤高多烈風。
扶持自是神明力，
正直原因造化功。
大廈如傾要梁棟，
萬牛回首丘山重。
不露文章世已驚，
未辭剪伐誰能送。
苦心豈免容螻蟻，
香葉終經宿鸞鳳。
志士幽人莫怨嗟，
古來材大難爲用。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
There is an ancient cypress in front of the Kongming Fane,
With branches bronzy and roots seemingly of stony cane.
The smooth and hoary trunk is thick for forty arms to span around,
Its dark green leaves wave in the sky two thousand feet beyond.
The Emperor and his premier had met in a juncture of times,
The visitors now treasure still the arbour in its prime.
The clouds bring its imposing airs to the Wu Gorge's gloom;
The moon reflects its coldness to the Snow Mountain's white dome.
I remember east of the Jin Jiang Pavilion the path
To a fane where Liu Bei and Kongming are shrined in the same garth.
The giant trees there clothed the outfields in an archaic shade;
The doors opened to the hollow halls with pictures dimly made.
Though independently this plant has had its blessed place,
Yet the mountain squalls shake the lonely highness without grace.
It is the deities who support it standing high and neat,
And the upright manner is due to the Creator's feat.
If a great mansion is on the tilt, it needs a ridgepole,
Thousands of cattles would look back since the tree they couldn't pull.
The people praise the potential sap within the plain mould,
It would fain be cut down, yet who may carry it to the world?
The bitter core of it did not prevent the ants to bore;
The phoenix yet came among the sweet leaves as a nest in store.
Let not the ambitious camplain that they are abused,
For from old, all rare material is seldom justly used!
<End Translation>