Translation: Su Shi – Meditation on Red Cliff

“Meditation on Red Cliff” is one of the most intriguing and exciting poems of Chinese Classical Literature. It has inspired a well-known movie and at least one video game. I have wrestled it into the best-known classic form of Western poetry – the sonnet.

Forever eastward the great river runs

Scouring away all trace of history’s sons.

‘Tis said of the Three Kingdoms, and Lord Zhou

He dallied on the Red Cliffs long ago.

Where jumbled rocks rise up to piece the cloud

And great waves pound the bank with froth like snow.

The scenery so quaint – so many dead!

That year when Zhou to Qiao was newly wed

With all the gifts of looks and rank endowed

With feathered fan and ribbons on his head

He talked and laughed while masts and oars below

In smoke enveloped, found an ashen shroud.

Bear with me as I dream; life passes soon.

Toast the eternal river and the moon.

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Here is the original text:

念奴娇（赤壁怀古） – 苏轼

大江东去，浪淘尽，千古风流人物。

故垒西边，人道是，三国周郎赤壁。

乱石崩云，惊涛裂岸，卷起千堆雪。

江山如画，一时多少豪杰！

遥想公瑾当年，小乔初嫁了，雄姿英发。

羽扇纶巾，谈笑间，墙橹灰飞烟灭。

故国神游，多情应笑我，早生华发。

人间如梦，一樽还江月。

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And here is the character-by-character translation

念奴娇（赤壁怀古）

Ode to Nu Jiao (meditation on Red Cliff)

苏轼

SuShi

大江东去，浪淘尽，千古风流人物。

The great river (the Yangtze) runs east, Lan tao jin – waves dredging to the limit, qian gu – – through the ages feng liu – distinguished and admirable, talented in literature and unconventional in lifestyle, loose ren wu a character .

The Great River runs east, waves scouring away the imprint of great men through the ages

故垒西边，人道是，三国周郎赤壁。

gu lei – old rampart xibian – on the west side, rendaoshi,- made by human hands, people say, sanguo zhou1 three countries around lang – an official title, darling, surname, chi – sincere, bi4 – wall, rampart, breastwork

On the west side, people say, are the red cliffs made famous by Lord Zhou of the Three Kingdoms

乱石崩云，惊涛裂岸，卷起千堆雪。

luan shi beng Yun – jumbled rocks burst the clouds; jing tao lie an – the shock of great waves split the bank; juan qi qian dui shui – piled up by a thousand snows.

Jumbled rocks burst the clouds; great waves crash against the bank, heaving piles of snowy froth.

江山如画，一时多少豪杰！

Qiangshan ru hua – picturesque landscape yishi duo shao hao jie – the outstanding men of how many periods of time

Such a picturesque landscape – so many historic men throughout time!

遥想公瑾当年，小乔初嫁了，雄姿英发。

yao xiang gong jin dang nian – remote remember with longing official brilliance that very year, xiao Qiao chu jia le little Qiao married for the first time,xiong zi ying fa – majestic appearsnce, heroic manner.

Think back to that brilliant year, newly wed to little Qiao, so majestic in appearance, so heroic in manner

羽扇纶巾，谈笑间，墙橹灰飞烟灭。

yu shan lun jin – feather fan, black silk head scarf, tan xiao jian – a time of talking and laughing, qiang lu hui feiyan mie – grey dust sweeps the wall like the smoke of a fire gone out[墙 Note – translations show this word with a different (tree) radical, rather than the earth radical – this would be “mast” rather than “wall”.]

With feathered fan, scarved in black silk, he talked and laughed as masts and oars disappeared in flying ash and smoke.

故国神游，多情应笑我，早生华发。

gu guo shen yuo – the old country’s gods wander, duo xing ying xiao wo – gently laughing at me, zao sheng hua fa – long ago put forth China

My mind dwells on old times, smile and bear with me, long ago my hair turned gray

人间如梦，一樽还江月。

ren jian ru meng, yi zun huan qiang yue

Man’s world is a dream, with a jug of wine toast the river and the moon.

………………………..

Finally, here is a prose translation – compare to my sonnet above

Ode to Nu Jiao (Meditation on Red Cliff)

The Great River runs east, waves scouring away the imprint of great men through the ages

On the west side, people say, are the red cliffs made famous by Lord Zhou of the Three Kingdoms

Jumbled rocks burst through the clouds; great waves crash against the bank, in piles of snowy froth.

Such a picturesque landscape – so many historic men throughout time!

Think back to that brilliant year, newly wed to little Qiao, so majestic in appearance, so heroic in manner

With feathered fan, scarved in black silk, he talked and laughed as masts and oars disappeared in flying ash and smoke.

My mind dwells on old times, smile and bear with me, long ago my hair turned gray

The world of men is a dream, with a jug of wine toast the river and the moon.