Poem 21:
I would have gone to my lord in his need,
Have galloped there all the way,
But this is a matter concerns the State,
And I, being a woman, must stay.
I watched them leaving the palace yard,
In carriage and robe of state,
I would have gone by the hills and the fords;
I know they will come too late.
I may walk in the garden and gather
Lilies of mother-of-pearl.
I had a plan would have saved the State.
–But mine are the thoughts of a girl.
The Elder Statemen sit on the mats,
And wrangle through half the day;
A hundred plans they have drafted and dropped,
And mine was the only way.
第21首:
君命本不可違，
徹馬應時不待。
國之安危更重，
女兒身亦需留。
吾見將士離庭，
車馬戰袍加身。
跨越千山萬水，
不知何日歸程。
吾可漫步花園，
拾得珠白花瓣。
心懷救國良策，
奈何出自女身。
臣子群坐墊上，
半日思想未果。
千般計謀用盡，
吾之乃是唯一。
Research and translation of selected poems from Lyrics from the Chinese was made possible by a 2012 Minority Ethnic Artist Award from the Arts Council Northern Ireland.
shannonyee 