<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 啄木曲>
<Format: 格式不明>
<Year: 1947>
<BookName: THE WHITE PONY: An Anthology of Chinese Poetry from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Newly Translated>
<Translator: Robert Payne>
<TranslatedTitle: WOOD-PECKERS' SONG>
<BookPage: 222-223>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 0>
<End Header>
<Poem>
莫買寶剪刀，
虛費千金直。
我有心中愁，
知君剪不得。
莫磨解結錐，
徒勞人氣力。
我有腸中結，
知君解不得。
莫染紅絲線，
徒誇好顏色。
我有雙淚珠，
知君穿不得。
莫近紅爐火，
炎氣徒相逼。
我有兩鬢霜，
知君銷不得。
刀不能剪心愁，
錐不能解腸結。
線不能穿淚珠，
火不能銷鬢雪。
不如飲此神聖桮，
萬念千憂一時歇。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Do not buy precious scissors—
A thousand dollars will bring no return.
I have sorrow in my heart,
But you cannot cut it.
Do not sharpen the knot-breaking awl—
Your labours will be of no avail.
I have a knot in my guts:
You cannot disentangle it.
Do not dye the silk thread red—
The lovely colour would be proud, yet helpless:
My tears are two strings of beads,
But I know you cannot gather them.
Do not ask me to approach the fire in the red stove:
The heat would oppress me: there would be no result.
I have frost on my temples,
But I know it cannot be thawed.
Scissors cannot cut out the sorrows in the heart,
Awls cannot disentangle knots in guts,
Threads cannot string the beads of tears,
Fire cannot thaw the snow on hairs.
Let us drink the heavenly cup—
All cares and worries cease at once!
<End Translation>