A Tribute to King Teng's Tower
Wang Bo
Nanchang, which was the capital of Yuzhang Prefecture during the HanDynasty, now fallsunder the jurisdiction of Hongzhou. It straddles the borderof the influence of the Ye and Zhenconstellations (1), and is adjacent to theHeng and the Lu mountains (2). The three rivers (3)enfold it like the frontpart of a garment (4) and the five lakes encircle it like a girdle (5).Itcontrols the savage Jing area (6) and connects Ou (7) and Yue (8), and itsproducts arenature’s jewels. The radiance of its legendary sword shootsdirectly upward between theconstellations Niu and Dou (9). Its talented peopleare outstanding, and the spirit ofintelligence pervades the place. This wasthe place where Xu Ru spent the night on his visit toChen Fan (10). The mightyHongzhou spreads out immensely amid the fog, and the intellectualluminariesare as numerous as meteors chasing one another. It borders both the unculturedandthe civilized areas, and its host and guests are all prominent people fromthe East and theSouth. Under the escort of guard of honor with halberds intheir hands, Governor Yan, a man ofhigh repute, comes to attend this eventfrom afar. Prefect Yuwen (11), a model of virtue, stopshis carriage on the wayto his new appointment. On this official holiday, which falls on everytenthday, good friends gather together, and a galaxy of distinguished guests fromdistantplaces fill the hall. Also present at the gathering are Master Meng ,whose literary grace is asimposing as a dragon soaring and a phoenix dancing,and General Wang, who has weapons assharp as the famous swords “PurpleLightning” and “Blue Frost” in his armory. I, an ignorantboy, have the goodfortune to take part in this grand banquet on my journey to visit myfather,who is a magistrate of a county.
It is September, the third month of autumn. The puddles on theground have dried up, andthe water in the pond is cool and translucent. Atdusk the rays of the setting sun, condensedin the evening haze, turn themountains purple. In the stately carriages drawn by the horses wemake our wayahead, visiting the attractive scenic spot in the mountains. Soon we arrive attheriver bank, where the King Teng’s Tower beckons, then we ascend the towerwhere the fairyonce dwelled (12). Ranges upon ranges of green mountain rise ashigh as the sky. The red glowin the water is the reflection of the richlypainted tower that seems hovering in the air. From itsheights no land isvisible. Circling around are the wild ducks on the sand-bars. Cassia-woodcourtsand magnolia-wood halls rise and fall like mountain ranges. Pushing open thedoor carvedwith decorative patterns, I look down upon endless waves ofbrightly tinted roof tiles, eachelaborately engraved with lovely etchings. Apanorama of mountains and plains stretchesbeneath me, and I am mesmerized bythe mighty scene of the winding rivers and big lakes. Inthe city there arehouses everywhere. There are families of great affluence, whose mealsareserved with many cooking tripods of food and to the accompaniment of music.Massiveships and fierce war vessels are densely moored at the ports. On thesterns of many ships arecarved designs of blue birds and brown dragons. Therain has just let up and the rainbow hasvanished. The sunlight shoots throughthe rosy clouds, and the autumn water is merged withthe boundless sky into onehue. The fishermen can be heard singing the evening songs, theirvoicesdrifting as far as the banks of the Poyang Lake. Even the wild geese feel thechill of dusksettling upon them, and they cry all the way while flyingsouthward, disappearing around thesouth bend of the Heng Mountain.
Looking afar and chanting, and then looking downward and singing, Ifeel a sudden rush ofecstasy soaring up in me. The music of the panpipe islike a gentle cool breeze. The softsinging lingers on; it is so soothing thateven the passing white clouds seem to come to a halt.The gathering here can becompared to the banquet in the bamboo garden hosted by Prince ofXiao of theLiang State (13), and many a guest is a greater drinker than Tao Yuanming (14).It isalso like the feast at River Ye where Cao Zhi (15) composed the poem inpraise of the lotusflower. Present are many talented scholars who are asgifted as Xie lingyun of Linchuan (16). Itis not an easy thing to have fourexcellent things all at once, that is, good weather, beautifulscenery, fullenjoyment and heartfelt happiness, and it is even more difficult to haveagenerous host and honored guests. I look into the vast expanse of the sky andamuse myself tomy heart’s content on this festive day. The sky is high and theland is boundless; I cannot butfeel the immensity of the universe. Sadnessfollows happiness. I am aware that success andfailure are predestined. I lookinto the distance, but Chang’an, the capital of the country, is farbeyond thesetting sun in the west, and Wuhui (17) is unapproachable somewhere amidtheclouds. At the farthest end of the south are the depths of the South Sea, andfar away in thenorth is the pillar that upholds the sky, but the Polestar isstill farther. Since the mountains andpasses are hard to travel over, whowould sympathize with the disappointed ones? The peopleI meet here are allpolitically frustrated, drifting together like duckweeds. I pine for theEmperorbut am not summoned. How long should I wait before I am called to thecourt again like Jia Yi(18)?
Alas! I am ill fated, and my life is full of frustrations. Feng tanggrew old quickly (19) and LiGuang had difficulty getting promoted (20). Jia Yiwas unjustly exiled to Changsha. Was itbecause there was no wise emperor onthe throne? Liang Hong had to seek refuge at theseaside (21). Was it becausethere was no good government in his time? Fortunately whatsupports one is thebelief that a man of noble character always contented with his lot. Old asoneis, he gains vigor with age and by no means wavers in his aspiration. Poor asone is, he isall the more determined in adversity and by no means gives up hisambition. One keeps hisintegrity even if he has drunk the water of the springof Avarice (22) and is cheerful even is heis confronted with misfortune.Though the North Sea is far away, one can still get there withthe help of thestrong wind. Though the morning is gone, it is not too late to make up the lossinthe evening. Meng Chang was noble and honest, but his devotion to thecountry was futile(23). Ruan Ji was unruly and untrammeled, but he burst outcrying when in dire straits (24).How can we learn from him?
I am an insignificant scholar of a low official position and am ofthe same age as Zhong Jun(25), but unlike him, I have no opportunity to servein the army. I will follow the example ofBan Chao (26), who threw aside thewriting brush to enlist in the armed services and I admireZong Que (27) whomade up his mind to seek a military career by braving the wind and waves.I amdetermined not to accept the offer of a lifelong government position by wearinga hair dressand holding a tablet before the chest as court officials do.Rather, I will travel thousands of li togo home to wait on my parents, payingrespect to them morning and evening. As a son I am notas good as Xie Xuan (28)but in my early years I had the fortune to have men of virtue as myneighbors.In a few days I will be with my father and I will take care of him andreceiveinstructions from him as did Kong Li (29). On this day I have the honor to beinvited byGovernor Yan to this grand occasion. I am as blissful as if I hadleaped over the Dragon’s Gate(30). Since I do not have someone like Yang Yi torecommend me (31), I can only sigh withgrief and caress this piece of writingwhich expresses my lofty aspiration. Now that I havemet a bosom friend likeZhong Ziqi (32), why should I be ashamed of presenting this writing ofmine?
Ah! A beautiful scenic spot is rarely seen, and a sumptuous banquetlike this one is evenless likely to be held again. The grand gathering at theOrchid Pavilion (33) is an event in historyand the famous Jinggu Garden (34)is now in ruins. I have the good fortune to attend this feastand I would liketo leave this farewell message at the time of paring. I count on allthegentlemen here to ascend the tower and contribute their writings. I humblycompose thisshort piece in all sincerity. Since every one of us is required towrite a poem, the following iswhat I write:
The lofty King Teng’s Tower Overlooks the River.
The jade pendants (35) tinkle, andthe carriage bells jingle.
The banquet’s over, the guests are leaving, andthe singing and the dancing havestopped.
In the morn the rosy clouds fromthe southern shore flit across the painted pillars.
In the eve the rain in the westernmountains are drawn in by the red curtains.
The lazy clouds are reflected inthe water and the days pass in leisure.
Things change and stars move; howmany years have passed since the building of theTower?
Where is its builder, King Teng?
Only the River outside the railingflows to the east all by itself.
(1)In old times the sky was divided into 28 constellations, and eachconstellation hadinfluence on a certain area on the earth. Nanchang was underthe influence of the Ye and theZhen constellations.
(2)The Heng Mountain is located to the southwest of Nanchang and theLu Mountain to itsnorth.
(3)The three rivers are the Jing, the Song, and the Zhe rivers.
(4)In old times there was a piece of cloth in the upper part of along gown, with whichpeople used to wrap things.
(5)The five lakes are the Tai, the Poyang, the Qingcao, the Danyang,and the Dongtinglakes.
(6)The Jing area was the Chu area prior to the Qin Dynasty. It wasless developed than therest of the country.
(7)It now mainly refers to Zhejiang Province.
(8)The name of a kingdom during the Zhou Dynasty (1046B.C.- 256B.C.) , mainly referringto the east of Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province,and part of Anhui Province.
(9)It was said that during the Jin Dynasty, there appeared a purplevapor between the Niuand the Dou constellations. Later people discovered aprecious sword in Hongzhou.
(10)Xu Ru was a poor scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Despitepoverty, he declined tobe a government official. When Chen Fan was the prefectof Yuzhang County, he received noguests except Xu Ru, for whom a bed wasalways prepared in his home.
(11)It refers to Yuwen Jun, who was newly appointed as prefect ofLizhou.
(12)It refers to King Teng’s Power.
(13)Prince of Xiao of the Liang State of the Western Han Dynastyoften entertained scholarsin the bamboo garden by the Sui River.
(14)Tao Yuanming was the author of “A Tale of the Fountain of thePeach Blossom Spring”.
(15)Cao Cao and his son Cao Zhi often entertained guests by RiverYe. Cao Zhi had written apoem in praise of the lotus flowers.
(16)Xie Lingyun was an official in Linchuan Prefecture, JiangxiProvince. Anotherinterpretation is that Wang Xizhi is referred to here,because he was also an official inLinchuan.
(17)Wuhui is today’s City of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province.
(18)During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Jia Yi wasexiled to Changsha andwas called back to the court four years later.
(19)Feng Tang was an official of a low rank in the Han Dynasty.During the reign of EmperorWu, he was recommended to a high-ranking official.But it was too late, as he was already overninety and could no longer servethe emperor.
(20)Li Guang, a military man during the reign of Emperor Wu of theHan Dynasty. He hadperformed many military exploits but had never been fullyrewarded.
(21)Liang Hong was a scholar during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Hewrote a satirical song tocriticize the noblemen and offended the emperor. Hehad to escape to the Qi and the Lu areas,which were near the sea.
(22)It was believed that on the outskirts of Guangzhou there was theSpring of Avarice.People became avaricious after drinking its water.
(23)Meng Chang was an upright official during the Eastern HanDynasty, but he never got ahigh position.
(24)Ruan Ji was a scholar in the Wei and the Jin dynasties. He wasangry with the rottenpolitics of his time and often went out in his carriage.When the road was blocked, he would cryand turn back.
(25)Zhong Jun was a young man living in the Western Han Dynasty. Hemade up his mindto capture the king of the enemy when he was about twentyyears of age.
(26)Ban Chao was a scribe during the Eastern Han Dynasty. He laterperformed militaryexploits and was rewarded.
(27)Zong Que was a young man during the Southern Dynasty (420-589).When asked whathe would do in the future, he answered that he would go to thefront and “brave the wind andwaves”. Later he became a general.
(28)Xie Xuan, a young man during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His unclepraised him as “thetreasure tree of the Xie family.”
(29)Kong Li was the son of Confucius.
(30)The Dragon’s Gate is a narrow pass in the shape of a gate in theLongmen Mountainwhere the Yellow River flows through. It was believed that ifa carp leaped over the gate, itwould turn into a dragon.
(31)Yang Deyi recommends Sima Xiangru, a great poet, to Emperor Wuof the Han Dynasty.
(32)Zhong Ziqi, a man living the Spring and Autumn Period. It wassaid that he was amaster in playing the qin, a seven-stringed plucked musicalinstrument. Bo Ya regarded him ashis bosom friend because he understood themusic Bo Ya played.
(33)See “Prologue to the Collection of Poems Composed at the OrchidPavilion”.
(34)See “Entertainment Given in the Peach and Plum Garden on aSpring Evening”.
(35)In old times people wore a jade pendant to the body and it gavea tinkling sound whenthe person moved.
中文版
《滕王阁序》王勃
豫章故郡，洪都新府;星分翼轸，地接衡庐;襟三江而带五湖，控蛮荆而引瓯越。物华天宝，龙光射牛斗之墟;人杰地灵，徐孺下陈蕃之榻。雄州雾列，俊采星驰。台隍枕夷夏之交，宾主尽东南之美。都督阎公之雅望，棨戟遥临;宇文新州之懿范，襜帷暂驻。十旬休假，胜友如云;千里逢迎，高朋满座。腾蛟起凤，孟学士之词宗;紫电清霜，王将军之武库。家君作宰，路出名区，童子何知，躬逢胜饯。
时维九月，序属三秋。潦水尽而寒潭清，烟光凝而暮山紫。俨骖騑于上路，访风景于崇阿。临帝子之长洲，得天人之旧馆。层峦耸翠，上出重霄;飞阁流丹，下临无地。鹤汀凫渚，穷岛屿之萦回;桂殿兰宫，即冈峦之体势。披绣闼，俯雕甍，山原旷其盈视，川泽纡其骇瞩。闾阎扑地，钟鸣鼎食之家;舸舰迷津，青雀黄龙之舳。云销雨霁，彩彻云衢。落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色。渔舟唱晚，响穷彭蠡之滨;雁阵惊寒，声断衡阳之浦。
遥襟甫畅，逸兴遄飞。爽籁发而清风生，纤歌凝而白云遏。睢园绿竹，气凌彭泽之樽;邺水朱华，光照临川之笔。四美具，二难并;穷睇眄于中天，极娱游于暇日。天高地迥，觉宇宙之无穷;兴尽悲来，识盈虚之有数。望长安于日下，目吴会于云间;地势极而南溟深，天柱高而北辰远。关山难越，谁悲失路之人?萍水相逢，尽是他乡之客。怀帝阍而不见，奉宣室以何年?
嗟乎!时运不齐，命途多舛;冯唐易老，李广难封。屈贾谊于长沙，非无圣主;窜梁鸿于海曲，岂乏明时?所赖君子安贫，达人知命。老当益壮，宁移白首之心?穷且益坚，不坠青云之志。酌贪泉而觉爽，处涸辙以犹欢。北海虽赊，扶摇可接;东隅已逝，桑榆非晚。孟尝高洁，空余报国之情;阮籍猖狂，岂效穷途之哭?
勃三尺微命，一介书生。无路请缨，等终军之弱冠;有怀投笔，慕宗悫之长风。舍簪笏于百龄，奉晨昏于万里;非谢家之宝树，接孟氏之芳邻。他日趋庭，叨陪鲤对;今兹捧袂，喜托龙门。杨意不逢，抚凌云而自惜;钟期既遇，奏流水以何惭?
呜呼!胜地不常，盛筵难再;兰亭已矣，梓泽丘墟。临别赠言，幸承恩于伟饯;登高作赋，是所望于群公。敢竭鄙怀，恭疏短引;一言均赋，四韵俱成。
滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞。
画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨。
闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋。
阁中帝子今何在?槛外长江空自流。