Wednesday, 2 October 2024

lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
Let’s test my lord’s and this one’s tears
By dripping them in our two ponds,
Then see when choosing lotus blooms
This year because of whose have died?

怨诗
试妾与君泪,
两处滴池水。
看取芙蓉花,
今年为谁死。

Yes, that "this year" is misplaced from the usual place for an adverb, but it's also misplaced in the original. Haven't found a way to reword it that moves it up without a really bad line break. Meh.

ETA
Later, when choosing lotus blooms,
We’ll see because of that whose died.

---L.

About

Warning: contents contain line-breaks.

As language practice, I like to translate poetry. My current project is Chinese, with practice focused on Tang Dynasty poetry. Previously this was classical Japanese, most recently working through the Kokinshu anthology (archived here). Suggestions, corrections, and questions always welcome.

There's also original pomes in the journal archives.

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