蜀道難 李白

蜀道難      李白  (701- 762)
噫吁嚱 ，危呼高哉！
蜀道之難難于上青天。
蠶叢及魚鳧，開國何茫然。
爾來四萬八千歲，始與秦塞通人煙。
西當太白有鳥道，可以橫絕峨嵋巔。
地崩山摧壯士死，然後天梯石棧相鉤連。
上有六龍回日之高標，下有衝波逆折之回川。
黃鶴之飛尚不得，猿猱欲度愁攀緣。
青泥何盤盤，百步九折縈岩巒。
捫參歷井仰脅息，以手撫膺坐長嘆。
問君西遊何時還，畏途巉岩不可攀。
但見悲鳥號古木，雄飛雌從繞林間。
又聞子規啼夜月，愁空山。
蜀道之難難于上青天，使人聽此凋朱顏。
連峰去天不盈尺，枯松倒掛倚絕壁。
飛湍瀑流爭喧豗,砯崖轉石萬壑雷。
其險也若此，嗟爾遠道之人，胡為呼來哉。
劍閣崢嶸而崔嵬，一夫當關，萬夫莫開。
所守或匪親，化為狼與豺。
朝避猛虎，夕避長蛇。
磨牙吮血，殺人如麻。
錦城雖雲樂，不如早還家。
蜀道之難難于上青天，側身西望長咨嗟。

The Forbiddingly Arduous Passages of Shu (Sichuan)      

Li Bai (701- 762)

Alas! Alack! Ye! Woe!

How menacingly precipitous it forebodes!

Shu passages are even more arduous than up to the heavens one tries to scramble,

Can Cong and Yu Fu the founders of the kingdom of Shu in times of old,

When they first had their kingdom founded how intricately intricately confounded things were is unimaginable,

Forty eight thousand years elapsed meanwhile,

Communicating with the Qin borders were only then came to the initial,

To Mt. Taibai in the west it was liked by bird trails,

Through there the peak of Emei can be reached across as well,

After the mountain and earth were all turned in a tumble and the death of many a valorous hero,

The Heaven Ladder and the cliff side plank trail became coupled,

Higher up there is the tallest peak with six dragons round the sun whirl,

Beneath it is the river with uphurling roving recurrent billows,

There even yellow cranes can’t fly over,

Even the nimble ape finds the precipitousness unapproachable,

How anfractuous is the Peak of Green Soil,

It takes nine twists every hundred paces around the mountain ridges and pinnacles,

Up there one is so near to the stars one can caress them only if you can have your breath put on hold,

Putting my hands on my chest I sit and utter a long wail,

Keep gadding around in the west when back will I go?

The cragginess of these mountains and cliffs are forbiddingly insurmountable,

I just see mournful birds on ancient trees warble,

Male birds followed by their mates hover around the wealds,

To the bright moon cuckoos shrill,

To the empty mountains they cry in dismals,

Shu passages are even more arduous than up to the heavens one tries to scramble,

Hearing all this even a youthful countenance will turn pale,

No more than a foot away from the sky it is up there on the pinnacles,

From the vertical cliffs hang hooked pines shriveled,

Sparging rapids chime in clamorous billows,

Water pounding on rocks and roars in thundering bolts,

This simply menacingly appalls,

Alack! People from far off,

Why should you come here at all!

The Sword Chamber here is definitely precipitously formidable,

There one defending warrior can take on ten thousand invading foes,

If the defenders are not someone trust worthwhile,

Turning to the enemy as wolves and jackals,

So against the tigers in the morning you have to keep vigil,

Against the snakes you still have to do the same at nightfall,

Honing their teeth these beast are always ready to have your blood to swallow,

Killing people in uncountable multiples,

The Brocade City is certainly a place pleasurable,

But I’d rather make an early recoil,

Shu passages are even more arduous than up to the heavens one tries to scramble,

Turning my eyes to look westward I utter a long wail.