Refer to different English translations of the following poem in
Hongloumengand try to
contribute your own translation.
无才可去补苍天，枉入红尘若许年。此系身前身后事，倩谁记去作奇传？
Never become the salt of the earth and the pillar of the heaven,
I was of no use for celestial repairs and discarded by the Goddess Nu-wa.
Sent me adrift in the earthly realm for years,
But to no avail, it was nothing but a void.
With stories of my past life and next life enshrined in my incarnation,
Who shall transcribe them to unfold another Odyssey-like saga?
As this poem serves as the beginning in Hongloumeng and there is no clear hint that points out who is the subject of this poem, I just referred to different interpretations of this poem. At the surface level, the subject of this poem is the odd block lay at the foot of Greensickness Peak of the Great Fable Mountains as the story in the poem is directly related to the myth of Nuwa Repairs the Sky. However, some connotations can be found when reading through the lines and referring to the story of Hongloumeng. Some may suggest the subject of this poem is Jia Baoyu, the protagonist of this book and the story of the poem fits with the destiny of Baoyu. Others argue that the subject epitomizes the life story of the author, Cao Xueqin. Both views seem to be plausible, but there isn’t a definite answer to this question. As the famous saying goes, “There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.” I believe it is meaningless to assign a clear-cut subject to the poem, leaving readers without their own appreciation and interpretation of this poem. Therefore, I just referred to the subject of the poem as “I” and translated the literal meaning of this poem without adding much of my own interpretation of this poem.
I was of no use for celestial repairs and discarded by the Goddess Nu-wa.
Sent me adrift in the earthly realm for years,
But to no avail, it was nothing but a void.
With stories of my past life and next life enshrined in my incarnation,
Who shall transcribe them to unfold another Odyssey-like saga?
As this poem serves as the beginning in Hongloumeng and there is no clear hint that points out who is the subject of this poem, I just referred to different interpretations of this poem. At the surface level, the subject of this poem is the odd block lay at the foot of Greensickness Peak of the Great Fable Mountains as the story in the poem is directly related to the myth of Nuwa Repairs the Sky. However, some connotations can be found when reading through the lines and referring to the story of Hongloumeng. Some may suggest the subject of this poem is Jia Baoyu, the protagonist of this book and the story of the poem fits with the destiny of Baoyu. Others argue that the subject epitomizes the life story of the author, Cao Xueqin. Both views seem to be plausible, but there isn’t a definite answer to this question. As the famous saying goes, “There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.” I believe it is meaningless to assign a clear-cut subject to the poem, leaving readers without their own appreciation and interpretation of this poem. Therefore, I just referred to the subject of the poem as “I” and translated the literal meaning of this poem without adding much of my own interpretation of this poem.
Not qualified enough to mend the sky,
Left behind in the mundane world, I waste my time.
Here is the recording of my past and future,
Please introduce to those who feel days fly.
This is a poem without subject, I prefer to regard Jia Baoyu as the narrator, since the stone only has a very limited life experience and then it became Jia Baoyu and started its journey in the mundane world. The latter one experiences more, having more to share with the world.
Left behind in the mundane world, I waste my time.
Here is the recording of my past and future,
Please introduce to those who feel days fly.
This is a poem without subject, I prefer to regard Jia Baoyu as the narrator, since the stone only has a very limited life experience and then it became Jia Baoyu and started its journey in the mundane world. The latter one experiences more, having more to share with the world.
0213700966程思
英笔1班
英笔1班
无才可去补苍天，
枉入红尘若许年。
此系身前身后事，
倩谁记去作奇传？
Existing as a stone in the previous life, he was not qualified for mending the sky;
Born as a man in the second life, he was lost in experiences of tangled relationships.
His both lives were past, while these stories were left.;
To be forgotten, or to be written into legends, that remains to be a question.
0213701000 夏美玉
Being abandoned though as the stone for sky-mending,
Thus in an attempt to make a hit in the secular world.
I failed completely with NOTHING outstanding achieved
Looking back the passing days, keep asking myself, finally
Who’s the writer of my life and recorder of the history?
高伟华 0213700974
Thus in an attempt to make a hit in the secular world.
I failed completely with NOTHING outstanding achieved
Looking back the passing days, keep asking myself, finally
Who’s the writer of my life and recorder of the history?
高伟华 0213700974
The magic stone was ashamed of its not being used for celestial repairs by the goddess.
And later on it considered its experience in the busy world of men where he had lived in the form of a mortal for decades as a waste.
From a magic stone to an ordinary mortal, there must be a lot of fancy stories to tell.
But who should be invited to listen to and record them?
And later on it considered its experience in the busy world of men where he had lived in the form of a mortal for decades as a waste.
From a magic stone to an ordinary mortal, there must be a lot of fancy stories to tell.
But who should be invited to listen to and record them?
"无才可去补苍天，枉入红尘若许年。此系身前身后事，倩谁记去作奇传？"
I came to the secular world with the embodiment of an heir to a high-heeled family.
I know I have wasted my attributes and talents just as I missed the chance to mend the sky.
But I do think this trip is worth the while,
so although I decided to leave everything behind me,
I still want you to know about my story, cause this is a story that I wrote with my body and soul, my flesh and blood.
I came to the secular world with the embodiment of an heir to a high-heeled family.
I know I have wasted my attributes and talents just as I missed the chance to mend the sky.
But I do think this trip is worth the while,
so although I decided to leave everything behind me,
I still want you to know about my story, cause this is a story that I wrote with my body and soul, my flesh and blood.
俞新晗 0213701040