琵琶行(四之二) 白居易

琵琶行(四之二)　   白居易(772-846)

轉軸撥弦三兩聲，未成曲調先有情。
弦弦掩抑聲聲思，似訴平生不得志。
低眉信手續續彈，說盡心中無限事。
輕攏慢捻抹復挑，初為霓裳後六么。
大弦嘈嘈如急雨，小弦切切如私語。
嘈嘈切切錯雜彈，大珠小珠落玉盤。
閒關鶯語花底滑，幽咽泉流水下灘。
水泉冷澀弦凝絕，凝絕不通聲暫歇。
別有幽愁暗恨生，此時無聲勝有聲。
銀瓶乍破水漿迸，鐵騎突出刀槍鳴。
曲終收撥當心畫，四弦一聲如裂帛。
東船西舫悄無言，唯見江心秋月白。(待續)

Ballad of the Pipa (pt.  2 of 4)         Bai Juyi (772-846)

Turning the pegs, she gave the strings a few free finger strolls,
Hardly was it a melody but sentiments already on the flow,
Every strike on the strings is a note of feelings she wanted to unfold,
Expounding  how her life ambitions were grievously foiled,
Brows knitted, she let her fingers on the strings freely stroll,
Releasing all her pent up sorrows,
Striking and flicking, she first played the Ni Shang then the Liu Yao,
The bold strings in gusty rapid rains rattled,
And the fine strings like intimate lovers tattled,
Pearls, big and small, onto a jade plate sprinkled,
Amid foliage twittered the oriole,
Spluttering spring water puled,
Presently the spring water ran into freezing chills and stalled,
Here the music lulled,
Sadness came gloomily amidst the still,
Silence took over with much more to tell,
Suddenly serum burst from the cracked bottle,
Armored warriors lunged forward with arms unsheathed in tackle,
Finally she stroke all the strings together in the middle at one go,
The strings erupted as a piece of brocade ripped and scuttled,
Boats far and near all seized in tranquil,
Leaving the moon in the river aghast and pale;
 (To be continued)