<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 廢琴>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 1916>
<BookName: CHINESE POEMS>
<Translator: Arthur Waley>
<TranslatedTitle: ON AN OLD HARP.>
<BookPage: 6>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
絲桐合爲琴，
中有太古聲。
古聲澹無味，
不稱今人情。
玉徽光彩滅，
朱弦塵土生。
廢棄來已久，
遺音尚泠泠。
不辭爲君彈，
縱彈人不聽。
何物使之然，
羌笛與秦箏。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Of cord and cassia-wood is the harp compounded.
Within he extremely ancient melodies
Ancient melodies—weak and savourless,
Not appealing to present men's taste
Light and colour are faded from its jade stops.
Dust has covered its rose-red strings
Decay and ruin came to it long ago
But the sound that is left is still cold and clear,
And I do not refuse to play it to you.
But even if I play, people won't listen.
.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .
How did it come to be neglected so!
It was because of the Ch'iang flute and the Ch'in flageolet
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
Of cord and cassia-wood is the harp compounded.
Within he extremely ancient melodies
Ancient melodies—weak and savourless,
Not appealing to present men's taste
Light and colour are faded from its jade stops.
Dust has covered its rose-red strings
Decay and ruin came to it long ago
But the sound that is left is still cold and clear,
And I do not refuse to play it to you.
But even if I play, people won't listen.
How did it come to be neglected so!
It was because of the Ch'iang flute and the Ch'in flageolet
<End Formatted Translation>