<Header>
<Author: 李賀>
<Title: 苦篁調嘯引>
<Format: 格式不明>
<Year: 1970>
<BookName: The Poems of Li Ho>
<Translator: J. D. Frodsham>
<TranslatedTitle: Bitter Bamboos: A Tiao-hsiao Ballad>
<BookPage: 191-192>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
請說軒轅在時事，
伶倫採竹二十四。
伶倫採之自崑丘，
軒轅詔遣中分作十二。
伶倫以之正音律，
軒轅以之調元氣。
當時黃帝上天時，
二十三管咸相隨。
唯留一管人間吹，
無德不能得此管，
此管沈埋虞舜祠。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
A WORD or two about the days When Hsüan-yüan reigned.
Ling Lun cut bamboos Four-and-twenty of them.
Ling Lun gathered them Upon the hill of K'un.
Hsüan-yüan ordered him To halve them, making twelve.
Thus Ling Lun regulated Musical pitch,
And with this Hsüan-yüan Ordered the Primal Breaths.
When the Yellow Emperor Ascended into heaven,
Three-and-twenty pitch-pipes Followed in his train.
Only a single pipe remained For men to play,
Yet since they lacked virtue This pipe was not for them,
So it was buried deep Within the shrine of Shun.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
A WORD or two about the days when Hsuan-yuan reigned.
Ling Lun cut bamboos four-and-twenty of them.
Ling Lun gathered them upon the hill of K'un.
Hsüan-yüan ordered him to halve them, making twelve.
Thus Ling Lun regulated musical pitch,
And with this Hsüan-yüan ordered the Primal Breaths.

When the Yellow Emperor ascended into heaven,
Three-and-twenty pitch-pipes followed in his train.
Only a single pipe remained for men to play,
Yet since they lacked virtue this pipe was not for them,
So it was buried deep within the shrine of Shun.
<End Formatted Translation>