《琵琶行》

　　Song of the Lute Player

　　白居易

　　Bai Juyi

　　潯陽江頭夜送客，楓葉荻花秋瑟瑟。

　　By the Xunyang River a guest is seen off one night;

　　Chill the autumn, red the maple leaves and in flower the reeds;

　　主人下馬客在船，舉酒欲飲無管弦。

　　The host alights from his horse, the guest is aboard,

　　They raise their cups to drink but have no music.

　　醉不成歡慘將別，別時茫茫江浸月。

　　Drunk without joy, in sadness they must part;

　　At the time of parting the river seems steeped in moonlight;

　　忽聞水上琵琶聲，主人忘歸客不發。

　　Suddenly out on the water a lute is heard;

　　The host forgets to turn back, the guest delays going.

　　尋聲暗問彈者誰?琵琶聲停欲語遲。

　　Seeking the sound in the dark, we ask who is the player.

　　The lute is silent, hesitant the reply.

　　移船相近邀相見，添酒回燈重開宴。

　　Rowing closer, we ask if we may meet the musician,

　　Call for more wine, trim the lamp and resume our feast;

　　千呼萬喚始出來，猶抱琵琶半遮面。

　　Only after a thousand entreaties does she appear,

　　Her face half-hidden behind the lute in her arms.

　　轉軸撥弦三兩聲，未成曲調先有情。

　　She tunes up and plucks the strings a few times,

　　Touching our hearts before even the tune is played;

　　弦弦掩抑聲聲思，似訴平生不得志。

　　Each chord strikes a pensive note

　　As if voicing the disillusion of a lifetime;