Nalan Xingde: O! The Most Pitiful Thing In The Sky Is The Poor Moon 納蘭性德 辛苦最憐天上月 Poem by Frank Yue

TUNE: Die Lian Hua
"BUTTERFLIES ROMANCING FLOWERS"
-by Nalan Xingde (1655－1685）
-Translated by Frank C Yue

O! The most pitiful thing in the sky is the poor Moon -
Once a month, she is full and bright like a piece of jade round.
But all other nights, to be waning or waxing she's found.
Like the clear dear Moon, you were all chaste and loving indeed.
I would freeze myself to drive away your feverish heat.

Alas, what mere mortals can do against their Destiny?
O! It was so easy for our secular union to cease!
The swallows still come, landing on the curtain hooks with ease.
Bird-songs o'er your grave: Autumn gone, but not my sorrows at this hour;
I would identify our Two Butterflies in the Spring flow'rs.


(2014.07.16)


【蝶戀花】 清 • 納蘭性德

辛苦最憐天上月，
一夕(昔) 如環，夕夕(昔昔) 都成(長如) 玦。
若似月輪終皎潔，
不辭冰雪爲卿熱。

無那(奈) 塵緣(鍾情) 容易絕。
燕子依然，軟踏簾鈎說。
唱罷秋墳愁未歇，
春叢認取雙棲蝶。