<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 長恨歌>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1919>
<BookName: Gems of Chinese Verse>
<Translator: W. J. B. Fletcher>
<TranslatedTitle: THE BALLAD OF ENDLESS WOE>
<BookPage: 118-119>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
漢皇重色思傾國，
御宇多年求不得。
楊家有女初長成，
養在深閨人未識。
天生麗質難自棄，
一朝選在君王側。
回眸一笑百媚生，
六宮粉黛無顏色。
春寒賜浴華清池，
溫泉水滑洗凝脂。
侍兒扶起嬌無力，
始是新承恩澤時。
雲鬢花顏金步搖，
芙蓉帳暖度春宵。
春宵苦短日高起，
從此君王不早朝。
承歡侍宴無閑暇，
春從春遊夜專夜。
後宮佳麗三千人，
三千寵愛在一身。
金屋妝成嬌侍夜，
玉樓宴罷醉和春。
姊妹弟兄皆列土，
可憐光彩生門戶。
遂令天下父母心，
不重生男重生女。
驪宮高處入青雲，
仙樂風飄處處聞。
緩歌慢舞凝絲竹，
盡日君王看不足。
漁陽鞞鼓動地來，
驚破霓裳羽衣曲。
九重城闕煙塵生，
千乘萬騎西南行。
翠華搖搖行復止，
西出都門百餘里。
六軍不發無奈何，
宛轉蛾眉馬前死。
花鈿委地無人收，
翠翹金雀玉搔頭。
君王掩面救不得，
回看血淚相和流。
黃埃散漫風蕭索，
雲棧縈紆登劒閣。
峨嵋山下少人行，
旌旗無光日色薄。
蜀江水碧蜀山青，
聖主朝朝暮暮情。
行宮見月傷心色，
夜雨聞鈴腸斷聲。
天旋日轉迴龍馭，
到此躊躇不能去。
馬嵬坡下泥土中，
不見玉顏空死處。
君臣相顧盡霑衣，
東望都門信馬歸。
歸來池苑皆依舊，
太液芙蓉未央柳。
芙蓉如面柳如眉，
對此如何不淚垂？
春風桃李花開夜，
秋雨梧桐葉落時。
西宮南苑多秋草，
宮葉滿階紅不埽。
棃園弟子白髮新，
椒房阿監青娥老。
夕殿螢飛思悄然，
孤燈挑盡未成眠。
遲遲鐘鼓初長夜，
耿耿星河欲曙天。
鴛鴦瓦冷霜華重，
翡翠衾寒誰與共。
悠悠生死別經年，
魂魄不曾來入夢。
臨邛道士鴻都客，
能以精誠致魂魄。
爲感君王展轉思，
遂教方士殷勤覓。
排空馭氣奔如電，
升天入地求之徧。
上窮碧落下黃泉，
兩處茫茫皆不見。
忽聞海上有仙山，
山在虛無縹緲間。
樓閣玲瓏五雲起，
其中綽約多仙子。
中有一人字太真，
雪膚花貌參差是。
金闕西廂叩玉扃，
轉教小玉報雙成。
聞道漢家天子使，
九華帳裏夢魂驚。
攬衣推枕起裴回，
珠箔銀屏邐迤開。
雲鬢半偏新睡覺，
花冠不整下堂來。
風吹仙袂飄颻舉，
猶似霓裳羽衣舞。
玉容寂莫淚闌干，
棃花一枝春帶雨。
含情凝睇謝君王，
一別音容兩渺茫。
昭陽殿裏恩愛絕，
蓬萊宮中日月長。
回頭下望人寰處，
不見長安見塵霧。
唯將舊物表深情，
鈿合金釵寄將去。
釵留一股合一扇，
釵擘黃金合分鈿。
但教心似金鈿堅，
天上人間會相見。
臨別殷勤重寄詞，
詞中有誓兩心知。
七月七日長生殿，
夜半無人私語時。
在天願作比翼鳥，
在地願爲連理枝。
天長地久有時盡，
此恨緜緜無絕期。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
The Lord of Han loved beauty;
   in love's desire he pined.
For years within his palace
   Such love he could not find.

A maiden in the house of Yang
   To wedlock's age had grown.
Brought up within the harem,
   And to the world unknown.

A lovely form of Heaven's mould
   Is never cast aside.
And so this maid was chosen
   To be a Prince's bride.

If she but turned her smiling,
   A hundred loves were born.
There are no arts, no graces,
   But by her looked forlorn.

'Twas in the chilly Springtime,
   They bathed in Hua-ch'ing Lake;
And in the tepid waters
   The crusted winter slake.

When thence attendants bore her,
   So helpless and so fair;
Then first beat in her Prince's breast
   Desire and tender care.

With cloud-like hair and flower-like face
   Her tinkling footsteps ring.
How warm in her pure curtains
   To pass a night of Spring!

The nights of Spring are short, alas!
   Too soon the sun-lit dawn!
From then no longer held the Prince
   His Court at early morn.

But steeped in love, at banquet's side,
   No other business knew.
One Spring behind another came.
   One night the next renew.

Although within his palace
   Three thousand beauties dwelt,
His love for these three thousand
   Did on one bosom melt.

When dressed, in secret chamber
   Her beauty served the night.
In gilded hall, the banquet done,
   The wine brought love's delight.

Her brothers and her sisters
   Were ranked on steps of fame.
And all her humble cottage
   Was lit with honour's flame.

Until throughout the Empire
   All parents hailed with joy
The birth of some fair maiden;
   And wanted not a boy.

The lofty palace balconies
   Amid blue clouds abide,
Their fairy storm of sweet delights
   Goes echoing far and wide.

'Twas wanton song, lascivious dance,
   And stringèd music's fire.
The whole day long the Emperor gazed,
   And never seemed to tire.

When like an earthquake came the boom
   Of drums and war's alarms,
To shatter that sweet rainbow song
   Of Beauty in Love's arms.

The clouds of dust rolled gloomily
   About the palace doors,
As chariots, troops of horsemen,
   Went westward to the wars.

That lady fair would go with him.
   And then she stayed again.
At last she came for forty miles;
   And lodged her on the plain.

Alas! the armies will not start.
   No hope is there at all,
Till those persuasive eyebrows
   Before the chargers fall.

Her ornaments the earth receives;
   Neglected there they lie.
Her feathers, golden hair clasp,
   And pins her blood stains dye.

Her Lord now cannot rescue.
   His mantle hides his face.
With that last look the tears of blood
   In trickling sorrow race.

The yellow dust is scattered wide,
   And desolate the wind,
As up a spiral bridge of cloud
   She leaves the earth behind.

Below great O-mi Mountain
   But rarely people go;
And dimly falls the sunlight;
   And dull the banners flow.

Are green the streams of Szechuen;
   And verdant Szechuen's hills.
Yet morn by morn and night by night
   What grief his bosom fills!

When from his tent the Moon he sees,
   His breast is charged with woe.
The rain of night, the watches' bell,
   Like torments through him go.

But loud rebellion's din resounds.
   He to his chariot fares.
With steps unequal came he there;
   And halting thence repairs.

Beneath the slope of Ma-wei,
   And hidden in the soil,
He cannot see that lovely face
   That death has made its spoil.

The Prince gazed on his Ministers.
   Their tears together flow.
They eastward saw the city;
   And turned their steeds to go.

Her lake, her garden still were there;
   Unchangèd were they all:
The lotus in the T'ai-yeh Lake,
   The willow by the hall.

The lotus seemed her face to be.
   Her brows the willows seem.
The sight of them made gush again
   His tears in bitter stream.

When plum and peach the spring renewed,
   And blossoms opened well;
When wu-tung leaves in autumn rain
   Before the breezes fell,

Within the courts unheeded grew
   And rank the autumn grass;
And all the steps were red with leaves,
   Ne'er swept for him to pass.

The tresses of her comrades
   Were newly streaked with grey.
The eunuchs of her palace
   And women pined away.

The firefly flitting through the room
   Her spirit seemed to be;
The whole wick of his lamp he trimmed,
   Yet sleep his eyes would flee.

How slowly through the dreary night
   The bell the watches tolled.
How sleepless blinked the Milky Way,
   Ere dawn the light unrolled!

When chill the roof where true love dwelt,
   How thick the frost flakes form!
When cold the halcyon's coverlet,
   Who then can make it warm?

In dreary gloom his life wore on;
   And years have passed, I deem;
But never yet her spirit came
   To soothe him in a dream.

By chance there came a wandering priest,
   Was steeped in magic lore,
And skilled to call the spirit home
   That dwelt on Pluto's shore.

In pity for the Prince's grief,
   That never let him rest,
He Fang-Shih sent to seek her;
   And bade him do his best.

The driving power of air he fixed,
   Like lightning thence he flew.
The highest heaven, the lowest earth
   He searchèd through and through.

Above he searched the azure vault,
   The yellow Styx below;
Both stretched in gloomy emptiness,
   Nor traces of her show.

And then he learnt that on the sea
   There was a fairy hill.
It stood upon the void obscure,
   That glamour covers still.

Fair, glinting, high its turrets rose,
   And spanned with rainbow hair;
Where many fairies stood about,
   So modestly and fair.

And one among them, T'ai-chen called,
   Than all the rest more rare,
So whtie her skin, so sweet her face,
   None could with her compare.

He knocked him on the fairy door,
   The palace western hall;
And bade the young attendants
   That lady fair to call.

And when she heard that tidings
   From Han Huang waited by,
From out the silken curtains
   Her dream did swiftly fly.

She thrust aside the pillow;
   Her garments hurried on;
And through the rich-set doorway
   Her wav'ring steps have gone.

Her cloud-like hair hung all awry,
   So fresh from sleep the dame.
With coronal all slanted,
   Into the hall she came.

Her fairy sleeves the wind blew up,
   They floated on the air.
Like rainbows seemed her raiment. 
   Like wings her garment fair.

Her lovely face looked wist and sad,
   And tears were in her eyes.
She seemed a sweet plum blossom
   Where spring rain pearling lies.

Her heart she stilled: her glances veiled;
   And thanked her Emperor's care.
"My voice,"she said, "since parting,
   My face my sorrows wear.

"In Chao-yang Court my love remains. 
   It knows no other sway.
Through palaces of Fairyland
   But slowly drags the day.

"When I would turn my head to view
   The world of men below,
I never can see Ch'ang-an; 
   So thick the mist wreaths flow.

"But take the former things I had,
   To show my love how true.
This ornament and golden pin 
   To take him, give I you.

"One half this golden pin I keep,
   Now broken in my grasp.
The other half to him I send,
   With half this golden clasp.

"And tell him that my heart is fixed,
   As true as is the gold.
In heaven mortals meet again. 
   I wait him purely bold.''

The messenger was going thence
   He asked one word again.
"There is one thing," she said to him,
   "Known only to us twain.

"The seventh moon, the seventh day 
   We stood in Ch'ang-sheng Hall.
'Twas night, and none beside us. 
   We two were all in all.

"We swore that in the heaven above 
   We never would dispart:
One tomb on earth enclose of us 
   The frail and mortal part."

The heaven is vast; and earth is old; 
   And Time will wear away.
But this their endless sorrow 
   Shall never know decay.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
The Lord of Han loved beauty; in love's desire he pined.
For years within his palace Such love he could not find.
A maiden in the house of Yang To wedlock's age had grown.
Brought up within the harem, And to the world unknown.
A lovely form of Heaven's mould Is never cast aside.
And so this maid was chosen To be a Prince's bride.
If she but turned her smiling, A hundred loves were born.
There are no arts, no graces, But by her looked forlorn.
'Twas in the chilly Springtime, They bathed in Hua-ch'ing Lake;
And in the tepid waters The crusted winter slake.
When thence attendants bore her, So helpless and so fair;
Then first beat in her Prince's breast Desire and tender care.
With cloud-like hair and flower-like face Her tinkling footsteps ring.
How warm in her pure curtains To pass a night of Spring!
The nights of Spring are short, alas! Too soon the sun-lit dawn!
From then no longer held the Prince His Court at early morn.
But steeped in love, at banquet's side, No other business knew.
One Spring behind another came. One night the next renew.
Although within his palace Three thousand beauties dwelt,
His love for these three thousand Did on one bosom melt.
When dressed, in secret chamber Her beauty served the night.
In gilded hall, the banquet done, The wine brought love's delight.
Her brothers and her sisters Were ranked on steps of fame.
And all her humble cottage Was lit with honour's flame.
Until throughout the Empire All parents hailed with joy
The birth of some fair maiden; And wanted not a boy.
The lofty palace balconies Amid blue clouds abide,
Their fairy storm of sweet delights Goes echoing far and wide.
'Twas wanton song, lascivious dance, And stringèd music's fire.
The whole day long the Emperor gazed, And never seemed to tire.
When like an earthquake came the boom Of drums and war's alarms,
To shatter that sweet rainbow song Of Beauty in Love's arms.
The clouds of dust rolled gloomily About the palace doors,
As chariots, troops of horsemen, Went westward to the wars.
That lady fair would go with him. And then she stayed again.
At last she came for forty miles; And lodged her on the plain.
Alas! the armies will not start. No hope is there at all,
Till those persuasive eyebrows Before the chargers fall.
Her ornaments the earth receives; Neglected there they lie.
Her feathers, golden hair clasp, And pins her blood stains dye.
Her Lord now cannot rescue. His mantle hides his face.
With that last look the tears of blood In trickling sorrow race.
The yellow dust is scattered wide, And desolate the wind,
As up a spiral bridge of cloud She leaves the earth behind.
Below great O-mi Mountain But rarely people go;
And dimly falls the sunlight; And dull the banners flow.
Are green the streams of Szechuen; And verdant Szechuen's hills.
Yet morn by morn and night by night What grief his bosom fills!
When from his tent the Moon he sees, His breast is charged with woe.
The rain of night, the watches' bell, Like torments through him go.
But loud rebellion's din resounds. He to his chariot fares.
With steps unequal came he there; And halting thence repairs.
Beneath the slope of Ma-wei, And hidden in the soil,
He cannot see that lovely face That death has made its spoil.
The Prince gazed on his Ministers. Their tears together flow.
They eastward saw the city; And turned their steeds to go.
Her lake, her garden still were there; Unchangèd were they all:
The lotus in the T'ai-yeh Lake, The willow by the hall.
The lotus seemed her face to be. Her brows the willows seem.
The sight of them made gush again His tears in bitter stream.
When plum and peach the spring renewed, And blossoms opened well;
When wu-tung leaves in autumn rain Before the breezes fell,
Within the courts unheeded grew And rank the autumn grass;
And all the steps were red with leaves, Ne'er swept for him to pass.
The tresses of her comrades Were newly streaked with grey.
The eunuchs of her palace And women pined away.
The firefly flitting through the room Her spirit seemed to be;
The whole wick of his lamp he trimmed, Yet sleep his eyes would flee.
How slowly through the dreary night The bell the watches tolled.
How sleepless blinked the Milky Way, Ere dawn the light unrolled!
When chill the roof where true love dwelt, How thick the frost flakes form!
When cold the halcyon's coverlet, Who then can make it warm?
In dreary gloom his life wore on; And years have passed, I deem;
But never yet her spirit came To soothe him in a dream.
By chance there came a wandering priest, Was steeped in magic lore,
And skilled to call the spirit home That dwelt on Pluto's shore.
In pity for the Prince's grief, That never let him rest,
He Fang-Shih sent to seek her; And bade him do his best.
The driving power of air he fixed, Like lightning thence he flew.
The highest heaven, the lowest earth He searchèd through and through.
Above he searched the azure vault, The yellow Styx below;
Both stretched in gloomy emptiness, Nor traces of her show.
And then he learnt that on the sea There was a fairy hill.
It stood upon the void obscure, That glamour covers still.
Fair, glinting, high its turrets rose, And spanned with rainbow hair;
Where many fairies stood about, So modestly and fair.
And one among them, T'ai-chen called, Than all the rest more rare,
So whtie her skin, so sweet her face, None could with her compare.
He knocked him on the fairy door, The palace western hall;
And bade the young attendants That lady fair to call.
And when she heard that tidings From Han Huang waited by,
From out the silken curtains Her dream did swiftly fly.
She thrust aside the pillow; Her garments hurried on;
And through the rich-set doorway Her wav'ring steps have gone.
Her cloud-like hair hung all awry, So fresh from sleep the dame.
With coronal all slanted, Into the hall she came.
Her fairy sleeves the wind blew up, They floated on the air.
Like rainbows seemed her raiment.  Like wings her garment fair.
Her lovely face looked wist and sad, And tears were in her eyes.
She seemed a sweet plum blossom Where spring rain pearling lies.
Her heart she stilled: her glances veiled; And thanked her Emperor's care.
"My voice,"she said, "since parting, My face my sorrows wear.
"In Chao-yang Court my love remains. It knows no other sway.
Through palaces of Fairyland But slowly drags the day.
"When I would turn my head to view The world of men below,
I never can see Ch'ang-an;  So thick the mist wreaths flow.
"But take the former things I had, To show my love how true.
This ornament and golden pin To take him, give I you.
"One half this golden pin I keep, Now broken in my grasp.
The other half to him I send, With half this golden clasp.
"And tell him that my heart is fixed, As true as is the gold.
In heaven mortals meet again. I wait him purely bold.''
The messenger was going thence He asked one word again.
"There is one thing," she said to him, "Known only to us twain.
"The seventh moon, the seventh day  We stood in Ch'ang-sheng Hall.
'Twas night, and none beside us. We two were all in all.
"We swore that in the heaven above We never would dispart:
One tomb on earth enclose of us The frail and mortal part."
The heaven is vast; and earth is old; And Time will wear away.
But this their endless sorrow Shall never know decay.
<End Formatted Translation>