Li Bai, Tax Official |
李白稅吏 |
|
Li Bai, |
李白 |
Sitting in a high-rise office |
正经高坐 |
Filled his mind with navigating |
满脑想的是 |
Thorny tax issues for his government, |
这棘手的税收困惑 |
Building cases of who-owed what |
断定谁欠钱 |
And who didn’t owe at all |
而谁又能分文不缴 |
Scanning the forests of spreadsheets |
浏览如林般的税单 |
And respecting the pavilions of power. |
顾及权贵的亭台 |
|
Li Bai, |
李白 |
Suffered from a mind that wandered, |
思绪万千 |
But which he tamed in order |
但又不得不顺应 |
To make the civil service |
工职的要求 |
And avoid long trips to the countryside, |
避开乡间远行 |
Great pastoral journeys of sacrifice |
那久违的田园之旅 |
And resurrection of character, |
天性复活 |
A character that benefited little |
不得志的天性 |
From great throngs of people |
来自熙熙攘攘的人群 |
Chanting aloud in public places, |
在户外大声叫嚷 |
As much as that spirited part |
他的心向往 |
Of his heart yearned for them |
他的思绪在那逗留 |
And his mind lingered there. |
在那逗留,在那逗留 |
Lingered there. Lingered there. |
|
Li Bai |
李白 |
Remembering a trip with his co-workers |
忆起与同僚的出行 |
Forgot about his forest of spreadsheets |
遗忘眼前的税林 |
And pavilions of plenty, |
和那严实的亭台 |
Thinking about the late night drinking, |
想起深夜的畅饮 |
The toasting – shot after shot, |
敬酒-干了一杯又一杯 |
The hazing of the colorful dresses of the women |
彩衣妙曼的女子 |
Paid to sit by his side, |
收钱坐于一旁 |
Feeding him words to songs he knew |
启发他为熟知的老歌填写歌词 |
From so long ago. |
很久很久以前 |
|
Li Bai, |
李白 |
Remembered these things, |
记起这一切 |
But did not linger on them. |
然而他不曾逗留 |
He was lost in a different place, |
迷失于另一个地方 |
That moment when everyone had left |
众人退场的那一刻 |
And the woman by his side was gone |
身旁的女子已离去 |
Forgetting to close the window shade, |
却忘记关上那道窗 |
Letting the moon shine in. |
让明月照进来 |
|
Li Bai, |
李白 |
Lost himself in that frosty glow |
迷失在如霜的光亮中 |
That puddled beneath his feet |
洒落在他脚下 |
That took him back ages |
带他回到从前 |
That made him drown in nostalgia |
令他沉寂在思乡情愫之中 |
Bringing words to his lips |
将诗词送到他唇边 |
He never knew he had, |
不敢执笔写下的诗词 |
Words he’d dare not write down. |
举头仰望,思绪万千 |
Looking up, his mind reeled |
独自一人 |
And all alone |
他举杯敬月 |
He toasted the moon. |