<Header>
<Author: 杜甫>
<Title: 渼陂行>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1912>
<BookName: CHINESE POEMS>
<Translator: CHARLES BUDD>
<TranslatedTitle: The Waters of the Mei-Pei>
<BookPage: 63-64>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1, 2, 3, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
岑參兄弟皆好奇，
攜我遠來遊渼陂。
天地黤慘忽異色，
波濤萬頃堆琉璃。
琉璃汗漫泛舟入，
事殊興極憂思集。
鼉作鯨吞不復知，
惡風白浪何嗟及。
主人錦帆相為開，
舟子喜甚無氛埃。
鳧鷖散亂櫂謳發，
絲管啁啾空翠來。
沈竿續蔓深莫測，
菱葉荷花靜如拭。
宛在中流渤澥清，
下歸無極終南黑。
半陂已南純浸山，
動影褭窕沖融間。
船舷暝戛雲際寺，
水面月出藍田關。
此時驪龍亦吐珠，
馮夷擊鼓群龍趨。
湘妃漢女出歌舞，
金支翠旗光有無。
咫尺但愁雷雨至，
蒼茫不曉神靈意。
少壯幾時奈老何，
向來哀樂何其多。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
TWO friends whose love of wonders led them oft
   To leave the haunts and scenes of every day,
Invited me to join them in a voyage
   Across the waters of the dread Mei-Pei!

Where nature in $(her)$ changeful moods is seen,
   In grandeur and in terror side by side;
Where mighty forces alter heaven and earth,
   $(And puny human strength and life deride.)$
0

$(Will countless billows of the wide expanse)$
   $(In ceaseless motion mount and roll afar?)$
Through fluid piles of seeming crystal rocks
   Will our boat sail beyond the sheltering bar?

Delightful is the venture that we take,
   And yet dire fears will gather in our throat,
The gavial huge may come in search of prey,
   The monster whales may overturn our boat!
0

Fierce winds may rise and billows roll and break!
0
   But our brave friends unloose the flowing sail,
0
And through the scattering flocks of duck and tern
   $(The boat glides on—the white foam in our trail.)$ 

$(The pure and bracing air inflates our lungs—)$
   $(Afar from towns where dust with cleanness vies;)$
$(The boatmen chant gay ditties as they work,)$
   While sounds of lutes rise to the azure skies.
0

As fresh as dew on early morning flowers
0
   $(The leaves of water-lilies float around,)$
$(Upon the surface of the water clear,)$
   $(Through which we peer in vain to find the ground.)$

Then yielding to the current, broad and strong,
   Toward the central flood we quickly forge;
The waters pure as those of Puh and Hsiai,
   Yet darkly deep as in the Chong-Nan gorge.

The mountain heights whose base abuts the lake
   Are mirrored clearly in the southern end;
0
The Great Peace Temple, which in cloudland hangs,
   Reflects its image in the eastern bend.

The moon has risen, and its silver beams
   Across the Lan-Tien Pass in beauty glow,
$(While we sit idly on the vessel’s side)$
   $(And watch the nodding peaks in depths below.)$

$(And as we view the mirage of the heights )$
   $(Which tower in mighty strength above our heads,)$
0 The swift Li-Long in prodigal display
   A shower of pearls upon the water spreads.

The Ruler of the Rivers beats his drum,
   And dragons haste the summons to obey;
The Consorts of the ancient king descend,
   $(Led by the Maiden of the Star-lit Way.)$

To branchèd instruments of beaten gold,
   Adorned with pendants of sapphire and jade,
They sing, and dance, midst lights of many hues,
   Which flash in splendour, then in darkness fade.

$(In ecstasy we watch the wondrous scene,)$ 
   $(But awe and joy are mingled in our mind,)$
For now far off we hear the thunder peal,
   And lowering clouds with lurid lights are lined.

$(The waters heave with burdensome unrest,)$ 
   $(The air is full of shadows of the dead;)$
The Spirits of the Universe are near,
   And we cannot divine their portents dread.

And such is life—an hour of changing scenes
   Of fitful joy and quickly following grief;
An hour of buoyant youth in rapid flight,
   And then old age to end life—sad and brief!
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
TWO friends whose love of wonders led them oft To leave the haunts and scenes of every day,
Invited me to join them in a voyage Across the waters of the dread Mei-Pei!
Where nature in $(her)$ changeful moods is seen, In grandeur and in terror side by side ;
Where mighty forces alter heaven and earth, 
$(And puny human strength and life deride.)$ 
0
$(Will countless billows of the wide expanse)$
$(In ceaseless motion mount and roll afar?)$
Through fluid piles of seeming crystal rocks Will our boat sail beyond the sheltering bar?
Delightful is the venture that we take, And yet dire fears will gather in our throat,
The gavial huge may come in search of prey, The monster whales may overturn our boat! 0
Fierce winds may rise and billows roll and break! 0
But our brave friends unloose the flowing sail,
0
And 0 through the scattering flocks of duck and tern 
$(The boat glides on—the white foam in our trail.)$ 
$(The pure and bracing air inflates our lungs—)$
$(Afar from towns where dust with cleanness vies;)$
$(The boatmen chant gay ditties as they work,)$
While sounds of lutes rise to the azure skies.
0
As fresh as dew on early morning flowers 0
$(The leaves of water-lilies float around,)$
$(Upon the surface of the water clear,)$
$(Through which we peer in vain to find the ground.)$
Then yielding to the current, broad and strong, Toward the central flood we quickly forge; The waters pure as those of Puh and Hsiai, 
Yet darkly deep as in the Chong-Nan gorge.
The mountain heights whose base abuts the lake Are mirrored clearly in the southern end;
0
The Great Peace Temple, which in cloudland hangs, Reflects its image in the eastern bend.
The moon has risen, and its silver beams Across the Lan-Tien Pass in beauty glow,
$(While we sit idly on the vessel’s side)$
$(And watch the nodding peaks in depths below.)$
$(And as we view the mirage of the heights )$
$(Which tower in mighty strength above our heads,)$
0 The swift Li-Long in prodigal display A shower of pearls upon the water spreads.
The Ruler of the Rivers beats his drum, And dragons haste the summons to obey ;
The Consorts of the ancient king descend, They sing, and dance, midst lights of many hues, 
$(Led by the Maiden of the Star-lit Way.)$
To branchèd instruments of beaten gold, Adorned with pendants of sapphire and jade, Which flash in splendour, then in darkness fade.
$(In ecstasy we watch the wondrous scene,)$ 
$(But awe and joy are mingled in our mind,)$
For now far off we hear the thunder peal, And lowering clouds with lurid lights are lined. $(The waters heave with burdensome unrest, The air is full of shadows of the dead;)$ The Spirits of the Universe are near, And we cannot divine their portents dread.
An hour of buoyant youth in rapid flight, And then old age to end life—sad and brief!
And such is life—an hour of changing scenes Of fitful joy and quickly following grief;
<End Formatted Translation>