<Header>
<Author: 李白>
<Title: 酬中都小吏攜斗酒雙魚於逆旅見贈>
<Format: 七言排律>
<Year: 1971>
<BookName: CHINESE LYRICISM: Shih poetry from the second to the twelfth century>
<Translator: Burton Watson>
<TranslatedTitle: In Reply When Lesser Officials of Chung-tu Brought a Pot of Wine and Two Fish to My Inn as Gifts>
<BookPage: 148-149>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 2>
<End Header>
<Poem>
魯酒若琥珀，
汶魚紫錦鱗。
山東豪吏有俊氣，
手攜此物贈遠人。
意氣相傾兩相顧，
斗酒雙魚表情素。
雙鰓呀呷鰭鬣張，
蹳刺銀盤欲飛去。
呼兒拂几霜刃揮，
紅肌花落白雪霏。
為君下箸一餐飽，
醉著金鞍上馬歸。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Lu wine like amber,
fish from the Wen, the purple damask of their scales;
and Shantung's fine officials, in expansive mood,
their hands bearing gifts for a man from far away.
We've taken to each other—we hit it off;
the pot of wine, the pair of fish convey this thought.
$(Wine comes—I drink it;)$
$(fish to be carved at parting,)$
twin gills that gape and pant, back and body taut-finned,
they twitch an twitter on a silver plate, all but taking wing.
I call the boy to clear the cuttingboard; frosty blades whirl—
red flesh and pale: fallen flowers, a gleam of whitest snow.
With your leave I dip my chopsticks, eat my fill,
then climb into the golden saddle, still drunk, to set off home.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
Lu wine like amber,
fish from the Wen, the purple damask of their scales;
and Shantung's fine officials, in expansive mood,
their hands bearing gifts for a man from far away.
We've taken to each other—we hit it off;
the pot of wine, the pair of fish convey this thought.
$(Wine comes—I drink it;)$
fish to be carved at parting,
twin gills that gape and pant, back and body taut-finned,
they twitch an twitter on a silver plate, all but taking wing.
I call the boy to clear the cuttingboard; frosty blades whirl—
red flesh and pale: fallen flowers, a gleam of whitest snow.
With your leave I dip my chopsticks, eat my fill,
then climb into the golden saddle, still drunk, to set off home.
<End Formatted Translation>