Long Stick Journey (by Li Pai)
-Translated by Shin Ta Liu

編者按：2011年10月22日的讀書會，讀了美國詩人Ezra Pound英譯李白的詩「長干行」，﹝註﹞感覺上有些句子的翻譯詞不達意。本刊特別刊登劉信達先生提供的英譯，讓大家欣賞。

Remembering, when my hair just covered my forehead,
Playing in the front door to pick flowers.
You were riding the bamboo horse,
Galloped around to brush the green plum.
We were living in the same neighborhood of Long Stick Li,
When , we were both innocent and pure.

At fourteen, I wedded thee,
Still bashful, only facing the dark wall without daring to look at you,
Even you called me for a thousand times.
At fifteen, I started to open my eyes,
Enjoyed the feeling of this togetherness, and wishing this feeling
Would last, till we became dust and ashes

Kept always this letter of Trust,
And looking forward for your return on the tower of awaiting.
At sixteen, you were departing for a long journey,
Passing the bank of Chu-Tan-Yen,
The river was unapproachable in May rapid,
Echoes of monkeys crying broke the sky.

The worn trails of your steps in front door,
All gathering green moss now,
The thick moss could not be swept away,
Only saw the falling leaves dancing with the early autumn wind.
Flying in pairs of the August butterflies,
Visiting our west garden grass,

Looking at it, let me feel sad,
Waiting and fretting for you,
Gradually faded, my youth and beauty.
Morning and evening, I visited San-Ba to look for your homing messages,
To welcome you home, I didn’t mind travel far to meet you,
Even as far as Long Sand Storm.

長干行 -- 李白
妾髮初覆額，折花門前劇。郎騎竹馬來，遶床弄青梅。同居長干里，兩小無嫌猜。
十四為君婦，羞顏未嘗開。低頭向暗壁，千喚不一回。十五始展眉，願同塵與灰。
常存抱柱信，豈上望夫臺。十六君遠行，瞿塘灩澦堆。五月不可觸，猿聲天上哀。
門前遲行跡，一一生綠苔。苔深不能掃，落葉秋風早。八月蝴蝶黃，雙飛西園草。
感此傷妾心，坐愁紅顏老。早晚下三巴，預將書報家。相迎不道遠，直至長風沙。

﹝註﹞Ezra Pound, The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter.