苏小小墓
李贺
幽兰露，
如啼眼。
无物结同心，
烟花不堪剪。
草如茵，
松如盖。
风为裳，
水为珮。
油壁车，
夕相待。
冷翠烛，
劳光彩。
西陵下，
风吹雨。
The Tomb of Little Su
Li He
Dew on the hidden orchid
is like an eye with tears.
Nothing that ties a true-love-knot,
flowers in mist, can’t bear to cut.
The grass like the riding cushion,
the pines like the carriage roof.
The wind is her skirt,
the waters her pendants.
The coach with polished sides
awaits in the twilight.
Cold azure candlelight
struggling to shine.
Beneath Western Mound
wind blows the rain.
（Stephen Owen 译）
The Grave of Little Su
Li Ho
Dew on the secret orchid
Like crying eyes.
No thing to bind the heart to.
Misted flowers I cannot bear to cut.
Grass like a cushion,
The pine like a parasol:
The wind is a skirt,
The waters are tinkling pendants.
A coach with lacquered sides
Waits for someone in the evening.
Cold blue candle-flames
Strain to shine bright.
Beneath West Mound
The wind puffs the rain.
（A.C. Graham 译）
A Lady’s Sepulcher
Li Ho
Dew drops of shaded orchids
Gaze as the eyes weep;
They shall never be true lovers;
The dancing girl will never enter her lover’s home.
The grass shall be my carpet,
The pine trees my cloak,
The wind my embroidered dress,
Streams shall be my blue jewels.
Within my painted chariot
I have lingered all night.
Cold are the green candles of the will-o’-the-wisps.
Ever flickering, ever glowing.
Beneath the Western Hill
The wind blows cold rain.
（Ho Chih-yuan 译）
Su Xiaoxiao’s1 Tomb
Li He
Orchid dew
Like sobbing eyes
Nothing the hearts in one to unite
Young blossoms devastated by cutting
Grass like carpet
Pines like canopies
Wind as dresses
Water as pendants
Painted sedan
Waiting at dusk
Cold bluish candles
Shinning in vain
Under Xiling2 (cypresses and pines)
Winds driving rains
- Su Xiaoxiao was a popular courtesan in Qi of the Southern Dynasties. Her life-time aspiration is summed up inSongs of Su Xiaoxiao:
I ride in a painted sedan,
You on a piebald steed;
Where to unite our hearts in one?
Under the Xiling cypresses and pines.
- Xiling is close to the West Lake in today’s Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
（任治稷、余正 译）
Little Su’s Tomb
Li He
Dewy Orchids–
Eyes with tears.
Nothing to twist a love-know, –
The flowers around are hazy mist.
Pines–her shelter,
Grass–her mattress;
Winds–her dress,
Waters–her pendant-jades.
An oil-paint carriage
Night long waits.
Cold green candles1
Shine in vain.
Under West Mound
The wind blows the rain.
- will-o-the-wisps.
（飞白 译）
By Lady Su Xiaoxiao’s Tomb1
Li He
The dewdrops on the orchid leaves,
Remember the tears on thy cheeks.
Nothing ensures thy bond of love,
Thou can’t bear to trim the snuff.
Lawns, thy carpet,
Pines, thy umbrella,
Winds, thy dress,
Streams, thy pendant,
Painted wagon, at your service,
Green candlelight, so gloomy,
Somewhere in Hangzhou, 2
The rain pours and gales blow.
- Su Xiaoxiao: A famous prostitute in the Southern Qi Dynasty (479-502 AD).
- It is believed that Su Xiaoxiao’s Grave is located somewhere in Hangzhou, now the capital city of Zhejiang Province.
（卢炳群 译）
