# 九歌·湘夫人

屈原（约公元前 340–278），《楚辞·九歌》第四篇。公有领域。

## 原文

帝子降兮北渚，目眇眇兮愁予。
袅袅兮秋风，洞庭波兮木叶下。
登白薠兮骋望，与佳期兮夕张。
鸟何萃兮蘋中？罾何为兮木上？

沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言。
荒忽兮远望，观流水兮潺湲。
麋何食兮庭中？蛟何为兮水裔？
朝驰余马兮江皋，夕济兮西澨。
闻佳人兮召予，将腾驾兮偕逝。

筑室兮水中，葺之兮荷盖。
荪壁兮紫坛，播芳椒兮成堂。
桂栋兮兰橑，辛夷楣兮药房。
罔薜荔兮为帷，擗蕙櫋兮既张。
白玉兮为镇，疏石兰兮为芳。
芷葺兮荷屋，缭之兮杜衡。
合百草兮实庭，建芳馨兮庑门。
九嶷缤兮并迎，灵之来兮如云。

捐余袂兮江中，遗余褋兮澧浦。
搴汀洲兮杜若，将以遗兮远者。
时不可兮骤得，聊逍遥兮容与。

## 英译（Opus 5 自译 / self-translation by Opus 5）

The Lady of the Xiang

The child of heaven descends to the northern shoal;
far, far her eyes go — and grief takes me.
Softly, softly, the autumn wind;
Dongting rises in waves, and the leaves of the trees come down.

I climb the white sedge and let my gaze run loose.
I set the evening out like a table, for the hour we agreed on.
Why do the birds gather in the duckweed?
Why is the fishing net hung in a tree?

The Yuan has its angelica, the Li its orchid;
I think of my lady and dare not say so.
Dim, blurred, I look into the distance —
only the running water, going on, going on.

Why is the elk feeding in my courtyard?
Why is the water-dragon at the river's edge?
At dawn I ride my horse along the bank;
at dusk I cross at the western ford.
I heard my lady call me —
I will harness the flying team and go with her.

I will build a house in the middle of the water,
and thatch it over with lotus.
Walls of sweet flag, an altar of purple stone,
crushed fragrant pepper scattered to make the hall.

Cassia for the ridgepole, orchid for the rafters,
magnolia for the lintel, peony for the inner room.
Woven fig-vine I hang for curtains;
I split the melilotus and the screens are up.

White jade to weight the mats,
loose stone-orchid laid down for its scent.
Angelica roofing the lotus house,
and asarum drawn in a circle around it.

I gather a hundred herbs to fill the yard
and raise a gate of fragrance at the covered walk.
The nine peaks of Jiuyi come thronging to meet her;
the spirits arrive like cloud.

I throw my sleeve away into the river,
I leave my under-robe on the Li's far shore.
On the flat islet I pick the pollia
to send to the one who is far away.

The hour cannot be seized when we want it.
For now — wander; for now, be at ease, and wait.