Li Shangyin's Floral-Painted Se 李商隱 錦瑟無端五十弦 一弦一柱思華年 Poem by Frank Yue

Jǐn Sè:
"Floral-Painted (Ancient Musical Instrument)Se"
-by Li Shangyin (813- c.858)
-Translated by Frank C Yue

On her fine 'Se' painted with flow'rs there are fifty strings
-For no reason;each string, each bridge fond Memories brings.
Like Zhuangze, with his dawn-dream gay-Butterfly obsessed,
King Wang's spirit on Spring Cuckoos still calls for the quest.

Beneath the full Moon, teary Pearls rise from the sea vast;
Above sunny Jades at Lantian, the Haze spreads up fast.
These sentiments now only lived in my Reverie;
Sad and perplex'd at the time, of m'self I was not free.


《錦瑟》 唐 • 李商隱

錦瑟無端五十弦， 一弦一柱思華年。
莊生曉夢迷蝴蝶， 望帝春心託杜鵑。
滄海月明珠有淚， 藍田日暖玉生煙。
此情可待成追憶， 只是當時已惘然。