饮马长城窟行[1]
无名氏
青青河畔草,绵绵思远道。
远道不可思[2],宿昔梦见之,
梦见在我傍,忽觉在他乡。
他乡各异县,展转不相见。
枯桑知天风,海水知天寒[3],
入门各自媚,谁肯相为言!
客从远方来,遗我双鲤鱼[4]。
呼儿烹鲤鱼[5],中有尺素书。
长跪读素书,书中竟何如?
上言加餐饭,下言长相忆。
注释:
[1] 饮马长城窟行:汉乐府古题,相传古长城边有水窟,可供饮马,曲名由此而来。这首诗在《文选》中记载为“古辞”,不署作者,相传为蔡邕所作,又名《饮马行》。
[2] 远道不可思:这句是反话,意思是人在远方,相思徒劳无益,所以“不可思”。
[3] 枯桑知天风,海水知天寒:无叶的枯桑也能感觉到风的吹动,海水虽然不冻,也能知道天气的寒冷。言外之意,难道我不知道自己的相思之苦吗?
[4] 双鲤鱼:放书信的函,用两块木板做成,一底一盖,刻成鱼的形状。
[5] 烹鲤鱼:打开书函,这样说是为了用语生动。
A Longing Wife
Anonymous
Green, green the grass by riverside;
Long, long l miss him far and wide.
He’s far away beyond the stream;
Yet I saw him last night in dream.
I dreamed we side by side did stand;
I woke to find him in far land.
The land’s too far to trace the ground;
I tossed but he could not be found.
A withered tree can feel the breeze;
The sea feels cold though it won’t freeze.
When men come home, with their wives they feel glad.
Who’d talk with me and care if I feel sad?
But a stranger comes from afar;
He brings me a pair of fine carp.
I call my boy to cook the fish,
In which I find a message as I wish.
I kneel to read what my husband does write
In this dear letter on silk white.
He starts: “Take of your health good care,”
And ends: “I’ll think of you fore’er!”