Friday, October 7, 2016

Chinese Poem Translated by A Z Foreman

Poems Found In Translation: “Du Fu: Expressing What Struck Me (From Chinese)”

Link to Poems Found in Translation

Posted: 06 Oct 2016 07:28 AM PDT
Expressing What Struck Me
By Du Fu
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click to hear me recite the original in reconstructed 8th century Chang'an Chinese

The blades of war  are still not laid to rest 
 Where are my sister  and each of my brothers today? 
I wipe away tears  wept blood stains my robed breast 
 I comb my hair  strands fill my face with grey
Low is the land here  vast, the wilderness 
 Distant, the heavens  laggard, the twilight river
Sick and decrepit  how can I last much longer? ã€€
 I'm sure I'll get  no chance to see you ever 


The Original:
(Medieval Chinese transcribed using a slight modification of David Branner's system)

遣興      khán3by hèng3
杜甫      duó1a  puó3c ã€€

干戈猶未定,  kan1 kwe1 you3b mì3a dèing4
弟妹各何之。  dèi4 mèi1a kak1 ghe1 tsyi3d
拭淚霑襟血,  syek3 lwì3c tram3b kem3x hwat4
梳頭滿面絲。  sruo3b dou1 mán1 màn3by si3d
地卑荒野大,  drì3c pi3by hwang1 yá3 dè1
天遠暮江遲。  than4 ghwán3a muò1 kong2 dri3c
衰疾那能久,  srwi3c dzet3b né1 neng1 kóu3b
應無見汝時。  èng3 muo3c kàn4 nyuó3b dzyi3d

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