| Rhapsody of the Goddess Luo | 洛神賦 |
| By: Cao Zhi | 曹植 |
| In the 3rd year of the Huang Chu Era, I entered the capital to visit the Emperor, when I returned I had to cross the Luo River. Legend said the Goddess of the Luo River was named Princess Fu. Song Yu once wrote a rhapsody as a record of a story of the King of Chu meeting a goddess, so I imitated him and recorded the story in this song, and it said: | 黃初三年 余朝京師 還濟洛川 古人有言 斯水之神 名曰宓妃 感宋玉對楚王神女之事 遂作斯賦 其辭曰 |
| I returned from the capital and headed to my fief. | 余從京域 言歸東藩 |
| I passed through the Yique Mountain, Huanyuan Mountain, the Tong Pass, and finally arrived at the summit of the Jing Mountain. | 背伊闕 越轘轅 經通谷 陵景山 |
| At this time the sun was already setting, and my chariot and horse were tired. | 日既西傾 車殆馬煩 |
| I dismounted and set my horse free to graze on the sweet-smiling grass. I walked casually in the forest, to enjoy the view. | 爾迺稅駕乎蘅皋 秣駟乎芝田 容與乎陽林 流眄乎洛川 |
| Suddenly my heart was shaken, and my thoughts went far away. I raised my head and saw a mirage: a woman so beautiful that she was comparable to a goddess, and she stood next to the cliffs. | 於是精移神駭 忽焉思散 俯則未察 仰以殊觀 覩一麗人 于巖之畔 |
| I asked my servant, | 迺援御者而告之曰 |
| "Have you seen that woman, who is she? Why, she is so beautiful." | 爾有覿於彼者乎 彼何人斯 若此之豔也 |
| My servant replied, | 御者對曰 |
| "I have heard the Luo River's Goddess is named Princess Fu, could my lord have possibly seen her? What does she look like? I wish to know." | 臣聞河洛之神 名曰宓妃 然則君王所見 無迺是乎 其狀若何 臣願聞之 |
| I told him: | 余告之曰 |
| "She was, | 其形也 |
| As dainty as a started swan goose, and her body was as fine as a wandering dragon. | 翩若驚鴻 婉若游龍 |
| Her beauty was as radiant as the autumn chrysanthemum, and her youthfulness was as lush as the sky-reaching pines. | 榮曜秋菊 華茂春松 |
| Her actions were subtle, like the thin clouds covering the moon, and her flightiness was like snowflakes blown by a breeze. | 髣彿兮若輕雲之蔽月 飄颻兮若流風之迴雪 |
| Looking from afar, her purity was as brilliant as the rising sun. | 遠而望之 皎若太陽升朝霞 |
| Looking up close, her radiance was like a lotus rising from a pond. | 迫而察之 灼若芙蕖出淥波 |
| Her form was perfect, and her shape was fit. | 襛纖得衷 脩短合度 |
| Her shoulders were like a masterful sculpture, and her waist was as thin as a white silk band. | 肩若削成 腰如約素 |
| Her neck and her jaw were perfect, and her pale skin could be vaguely seen through her dress. | 延頸秀項 皓質呈露 |
| Her fragrance radiated to all four directions, without need of perfume. | 芳澤無加 鉛華弗御 |
| Her hair rose like the towering clouds, and her brows curve like the willow leaves. | 雲髻峨峨 脩眉聯娟 |
| Her teeth shone pearl-white, within her scarlet lips. | 丹脣外朗 皓齒內鮮 |
| Her eyes gazed deep into my soul, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly when she smiled. | 明眸善睞 靨輔承權 |
| Her stature was beautiful beyond belief, and her conduct had a regal elegance. | 瑰姿豔逸 儀靜體閑 |
| Her demeanor was calm and soft, and her words were sweet and alluring. | 柔情綽態 媚於語言 |
| Her cloths were mystical and rare, and her frame was picturesque. | 奇服曠世 骨像應圖 |
| Her radiant top was made from the finest mystic silk, and her shiny earrings were made from the finest jade. | 披羅衣之璀粲兮 珥瑤碧之華琚 |
| Her hairpiece as made from the finest gold, and the decorating pearls complemented her beauty. | 戴金翠之首飾 綴明珠以耀軀 |
| She walked with her ornate shoes, dragging her mist-like skirt behind her. | 踐遠遊之文履 曳霧綃之輕裾 |
| Orchid fragrance emanated from her dress, and she wandered aimlessly on the mountain path." | 微幽蘭之芳藹兮 步踟躕於山隅 |
| Sometimes she leaped playfully, as though she was wandering the path of clouds. | 於是忽焉縱體 以遨以嬉 |
| A colorful flag lay to her left, a cassia branch to her right. | 左倚采旄 右蔭桂旗 |
| She pulled up her sleeve to reach her pale arm into the Luo River, to pick the black lingzhi growing in the rushing waves. | 攘皓腕於神滸兮 采湍瀨之玄芝 |
| I fell in love with her demeanor and beauty, and it made me shaken and depressed. | 余情悅其淑美兮 心振蕩而不怡 |
| I didn't have a good matchmaker to relay to her my feelings, I could only try to pass it with my fleeting glance. | 無良媒以接懽兮 託微波而通辭 |
| I wished my true feelings could reach her before others do, so I took off my jade pendant to present to her as a gift. | 願誠素之先達兮 解玉佩以要之 |
| But ah, she was too perfect, she knew the ancient rites and songs. | 嗟佳人之信脩兮 羌習禮而明詩 |
| She raised the pendant and answered me, telling me the date we would meet here in the pond. | 抗瓊珶以和予兮 指潛淵而爲期 |
| I was filled with thoughts of true love, but I was also afraid she may have lied. | 執眷眷之款實兮 懼斯靈之我欺 |
| I remembered the remnant words of Zheng Jiaofu (Note 1) who also had such an encounter, and was mired in dilemma and doubt. | 感交甫之棄言兮 悵猶豫而狐疑 |
| So I held back the happiness of acceptance, and told myself I should conduct myself according to the ancient customs. | 收和顏而靜志兮 申禮防以自持 |
| Thus she was moved, and she wandered around. | 於是洛靈感焉 徙倚彷徨 |
| The divine light around her separated, and suddenly began to flicker | 神光離合 乍陰乍陽 |
| She stood up tall like a crane, as though she was about to fly away, but she stayed. | 竦輕軀以鶴立 若將飛而未翔 |
| She walked on the fragrant orchid path, and stepped on the grass, letting the fragrance permeate. | 踐椒涂之郁烈 步蘅薄而流芳 |
| She sorrowfully cried of longing, it was sharp and long. | 超長吟以永慕兮 聲哀厲而彌長 |
| After a while, her fellow gods came after the sound, and came to accompany her. | 爾迺衆靈雜遝 命儔嘯侶 |
| Some played in the stream, some flew into the shallows. | 或戲清流 或翔神渚 |
| Some picked pearls in the bottom of the river, some collected beautiful feathers fallen on the bank. | 或采明珠 或拾翠羽 |
| She was followed by the princesses of the Xiang River (Note 2), and was accompanied by the swimming girls in the Han River(Note 3). | 從南湘之二妃 攜漢濱之游女 |
| They decried the Paogua's (Note 4) singleness, and the cowherd's (Note 5) loneliness. | 歎匏瓜之無匹兮 詠牽牛之獨處 |
| She raised her arm to let her sleeves cover the sun, and gazed afar with her dress fluttering in the wind. | 揚輕袿之猗靡兮 翳脩袖以延佇 |
| Her movements were as light as a flying bird, floating divinely without mortal peer. | 體迅飛鳧 飄忽若神 |
| She walked on the surface of the water, mist forming under her dainty feet. | 陵波微步 羅陉生塵 |
| Her erratic movements complemented her confused expression. | 動無常則 若危若安 |
| It was hard to say if she would go forward or back, or if she would leave or stay. | 進止難期 若往若還 |
| She turned and gazed at me, her eyes passing tidings of love to my longing heart. | 轉眄流精 光潤玉顏 |
| She looked like she had something to say, but all I could feel was her orchid breath. | 含辭未吐 氣若幽蘭 |
| Her beauty radiated all around me, making me forget where I stood. | 華容婀娜 令我忘餐 |
| "As the wind god put a stop to the breeze, the water god calmed the wave in the river. | 於是屏翳收風 川后靜波 |
| As the God of the Yellow River pounded the drums, the Goddess Nüwa began to sing. | 馮夷鳴鼓 女媧清歌 |
| The small fish all jumped out of the water and surrounded the carriage, as the jade bells brought tidings of their departure. | 騰文魚以警乘 鳴玉鸞以偕逝 |
| The six dragons glided together, pulling the divine carriage behind them. | 六龍儼其齊首 載雲車之容裔 |
| The great fish all acted as guard to their trip, the birds flew around to clear a path." | 鯨鯢踴而夾轂 水禽翔而爲衛 |
| "Thus she passed the island in the water and the mountain in the south, turned her neck around and gazed at me with her eyes. | 於是越北沚 過南岡 紆素領 迴清陽 |
| She opened her scarlet lips and talked slowly, telling me about the reason we have to separate. | 動朱唇以徐言 陳交接之大綱 |
| I resented the difference between gods and mortals, and I decried the young love going unfulfilled. | 恨人神之道殊兮 怨盛年之莫當 |
| She raised her sleeve to her cheeks to hide her sorrow, but her tears drenched that divine satin. | 抗羅袂以掩涕兮 淚流襟之浪浪 |
| She pained that we would never be able to meet again, and hurt that we would be separated like Heaven and Earth. | 悼良會之永絕兮 哀一逝而異鄉 |
| She didn't have any tokens of love to give me, so she could only present me a rare jade circlet from Jiangnan. | 無微情以效愛兮 獻江南之明璫 |
| 'Even if I'm trapped in Heaven forevermore, I will think of you, my lord, always...' | 雖潛處於太陰 長寄心於君王 |
| She disappeared before she could finish, and with the fading of the divine light I felt an emptiness in my heart." | 忽不悟其所舍 悵神宵而蔽光 |
| "Thus I climbed the mountains and crossed the valleys, searching for her divine steps. | 於是背下陵高 足往神留 |
| Thinking of the way she departed, I grew more and more sorrowful. | 遺情想像 顧望懷愁 |
| I wished her beautiful form would reappear, so I got in a boat and rode against the waves. | 冀靈體之復形 御輕舟而上溯 |
| Floating aimlessly on the Yangtze River, my thoughts turned to her again and again. | 浮長川而忘反 思綿綿而增慕 |
| At night my beating heart denied me sleep, my frozen tears frosted my clothes. | 夜耿耿而不寐 霑繁霜而至曙 |
| Alas, I told my servant to start the carriage, for I will be returning towards the East once more. | 命僕夫而就駕 吾將歸乎東路 |
| I held the bridle and raised my whip, but, overcame with sorrow, I couldn't give the order to go." | 攬騑轡以抗策 悵盤桓而不能去 |
2. Some consider Lord Xiang and Lady Xiang to be poems about E Huang and Nü Ying, daughters of the ancient Emperor Yao, who both married Yao's successor Shun. After Shun's death, both women drowned themselves in the Xiang River, and was consecrated as goddesses.
3. This is a reference to the Classic of Poetry Poem "Wide Han River", with the connection to Zheng Jiaofu, which would make them demi-goddesses and thus a parallel to e Huang and Nü Ying.
4. Paogua (or Hugua) is an ambiguous star or constellation in Chinese records, the modern Hugua is half of the constellation Delphinus, but it also has been identified with Tianji, now considered a part of Saggitarius, but it was also annotated as being "East" of Aquila. It was often written in parallel with Vega or Altair (never both) of Qixi, as a metaphor for loneliness, but all sources admit that they don't know the story behind Paogua's loneliness, and that it's been written that way since ancient times.
5. The cowherd is Altair, male lead of the Qixi story.
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