王元鼎·《醉太平·寒食其二》英译

声声啼乳鸦，

生叫破韶华，

夜深微雨润堤沙，

香风万家。

画楼洗净鸳鸯瓦，

彩绳半湿秋千架。

觉来红日上窗纱，

听街头卖杏花。

Tune: Drunk in Time of Peace

Cold Food Day

Wang Yuanding

Nursling crows caw out cry on cry,

Breaking the early day of spring.

Last night the drizzle moistened the sand far and nigh,

Thousands of homes sweetened by the breeze on the wing.

The lovebirds tiles of painted house are washed clean,

The colored ropes of the swing wet before the bower.

I wake to find the sun redden the window screen

And hear the street cry of selling apricot flower.

（许渊冲 译）

Ode on Cold Festival¹

to the tune of Tipsy in a Peaceful Time

Wang Yuanding

Incessantly the young ravens call in chime

That break suddenly the fair spring time.

Drizzle at deep night dampens the dam and sand,

In the fragrance of wind myriad houses stand.

Paired tiles on the painted tower are washed clean,

Slightly wet is the colour ropes of the swings,

Awake, one finds the red sun shining on the window screen,

In ears the call of the seller of apricot flowers rings.

1. the traditional Chinese festival, celebrated on the day before Qingming when people eat cold food only.

（辜正坤 译）