唐 詩 Tang Shi – 300 Tang poems

觀公孫大娘弟子舞劍器行并序
昔有佳人公孫氏， 一舞劍器動四方。 觀者如山色沮喪， 天地為之久低昂。 霍如羿射九日落， 矯如群帝驂龍翔， 來如雷霆收震怒， 罷如江海凝清光。 絳唇珠袖兩寂寞， 晚有弟子傳芬芳。 臨潁美人在白帝， 妙舞此曲神揚揚。 與余問答既有以， 感時撫事增惋傷。 先帝侍女八千人， 公孫劍器初第一。 五十年間似反掌， 風塵澒洞昏王室。 梨園子弟散如煙， 女樂餘姿映寒日。 金粟堆前木已拱， 瞿塘石城草蕭瑟。 玳筵急管曲復終， 樂極哀來月東出。 老夫不知其所往。 足繭荒山轉愁疾。

原文 64

There lived years ago the beautiful Gongsun,
Who, dancing with her dagger, drew from all four quarters
An audience like mountains lost among themselves.
Heaven and earth moved back and forth, following her motions,
Which were bright as when the Archer shot the nine suns down the sky
And rapid as angels before the wings of dragons.
She began like a thunderbolt, venting its anger,
And ended like the shining calm of rivers and the sea....
But vanished are those red lips and those pearly sleeves;
And none but this one pupil bears the perfume of her fame,
This beauty from Lingying, at the Town of the White God,
Dancing still and singing in the old blithe way.
And while we reply to each other's questions,
We sigh together, saddened by changes that have come.
There were eight thousand ladies in the late Emperor's court,
But none could dance the dagger-dance like Lady Gongsun.
...Fifty years have passed, like the turning of a palm;
Wind and dust, filling the world, obscure the Imperial House.
Instead of the Pear-Garden Players, who have blown by like a mist,
There are one or two girl-musicians now-trying to charm the cold Sun.
There are man-size trees by the Emperor's Golden Tomb
I seem to hear dead grasses rattling on the cliffs of Qutang.
...The song is done, the slow string and quick pipe have ceased.
At the height of joy, sorrow comes with the eastern moon rising.
And I, a poor old man, not knowing where to go,
Must harden my feet on the lone hills, toward sickness and despair.

Bynner 64