bring on the wine!
After being reminded by rasetsunyo of the difficulties of translating ye olde Chinese poetry, specifically the famous first line of one of that dipsomaniac Li Bai's many chestnuts 将进酒, i.e. 君不见黄河之水天上来, tried to look for the source of it being rendered "Sir, don't you see, the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky?". Alas, could not find it, but feel v. strongly that am not imaginative enough to have come up with such a cracktastic line, half-baked 2nd language eddication notwithstanding.
《将进酒》 李白
君不见黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
君不见高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，杯莫停。
与君歌一曲，请君为我倾耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不复醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。
五花马，千金裘，呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁。
Translation in the Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry
Stephen Owen in An Anthology of Chinese Literature
Bring On The Wine!
See you not the waters of the Yellow River rushing from on high, racing to the sea never to return?
See you not the sad aged locks in bright mirrors of high halls, dark at dawn to white by night?
Make as merry as you wish while you can, never let a golden goblet lie empty in the moonlight.
Heaven made me for a purpose, a thousand gold ingots spent will come again.
Cook the lamb, slaughter the calf, eat your fill, three hundred cups shall we down!
Old Master Cen, young Danqiu, bring on the wine, halt not the cups!
Sing a song with me, I pray you listen closely to my song.
Bells and drums and delicacies are worthless; would that I never reawaken from long intoxication.
Sages have always remained forgotten and alone, only imbibers leave an immortal name for the ages!
The Prince of Chen in his banquets at Ping-Le Palace made free with wine at ten thousand cash a vessel,
Why then should mine host stint? Just buy the wine and pour it freely,
Call the boy to trade my dappled steed and costly furs for lovely wine, and we shall together dispel ten thousand ancient sorrows!
Notes:
"on high": The source of the Yellow River (黄河) was thought to be high in the Kunlun Mountains, hence 天上来, literally "from the heavens".
"Old Master Cen" = 岑夫子 (Cen Xun 岑勋) and "young Danqiu" = 丹丘生 (Yuan Danqiu 元丹丘) were close friends of the poet.
"The Prince of Chen" = 陈王 was the title given to Cao Zhi, Cao Cao's third son who was known for his poetry and merrymaking - like a certain Tang Dynasty poet, but on a much larger scale.
"dappled steed" = 五花马 was a superior breed of horse and worth quite a fair bit of wine.
I feel the translation would work better if one could imagine that I am drunk too, or at least the pharmacological equivalent = loratadine + pseudoephedrine + dextromethorphan D:
《将进酒》 李白
君不见黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
君不见高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，杯莫停。
与君歌一曲，请君为我倾耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不复醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。
五花马，千金裘，呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁。
Translation in the Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry
Stephen Owen in An Anthology of Chinese Literature
Bring On The Wine!
See you not the waters of the Yellow River rushing from on high, racing to the sea never to return?
See you not the sad aged locks in bright mirrors of high halls, dark at dawn to white by night?
Make as merry as you wish while you can, never let a golden goblet lie empty in the moonlight.
Heaven made me for a purpose, a thousand gold ingots spent will come again.
Cook the lamb, slaughter the calf, eat your fill, three hundred cups shall we down!
Old Master Cen, young Danqiu, bring on the wine, halt not the cups!
Sing a song with me, I pray you listen closely to my song.
Bells and drums and delicacies are worthless; would that I never reawaken from long intoxication.
Sages have always remained forgotten and alone, only imbibers leave an immortal name for the ages!
The Prince of Chen in his banquets at Ping-Le Palace made free with wine at ten thousand cash a vessel,
Why then should mine host stint? Just buy the wine and pour it freely,
Call the boy to trade my dappled steed and costly furs for lovely wine, and we shall together dispel ten thousand ancient sorrows!
Notes:
"on high": The source of the Yellow River (黄河) was thought to be high in the Kunlun Mountains, hence 天上来, literally "from the heavens".
"Old Master Cen" = 岑夫子 (Cen Xun 岑勋) and "young Danqiu" = 丹丘生 (Yuan Danqiu 元丹丘) were close friends of the poet.
"The Prince of Chen" = 陈王 was the title given to Cao Zhi, Cao Cao's third son who was known for his poetry and merrymaking - like a certain Tang Dynasty poet, but on a much larger scale.
"dappled steed" = 五花马 was a superior breed of horse and worth quite a fair bit of wine.
I feel the translation would work better if one could imagine that I am drunk too, or at least the pharmacological equivalent = loratadine + pseudoephedrine + dextromethorphan D: