| Li Bai, Tax Official |
李白稅吏 |
|
| Li Bai, |
李白 |
| Sitting in a high-rise office |
正经高坐 |
| Filled his mind with navigating |
满脑想的是 |
| Thorny tax issues for his government, |
这棘手的税收困惑 |
| Building cases of who-owed what |
断定谁欠钱 |
| And who didn’t owe at all |
而谁又能分文不缴 |
| Scanning the forests of spreadsheets |
浏览如林般的税单 |
| And respecting the pavilions of power. |
顾及权贵的亭台 |
|
| Li Bai, |
李白 |
| Suffered from a mind that wandered, |
思绪万千 |
| But which he tamed in order |
但又不得不顺应 |
| To make the civil service |
工职的要求 |
| And avoid long trips to the countryside, |
避开乡间远行 |
| Great pastoral journeys of sacrifice |
那久违的田园之旅 |
| And resurrection of character, |
天性复活 |
| A character that benefited little |
不得志的天性 |
| From great throngs of people |
来自熙熙攘攘的人群 |
| Chanting aloud in public places, |
在户外大声叫嚷 |
| As much as that spirited part |
他的心向往 |
| Of his heart yearned for them |
他的思绪在那逗留 |
| And his mind lingered there. |
在那逗留，在那逗留 |
| Lingered there. Lingered there. |
|
| Li Bai |
李白 |
| Remembering a trip with his co-workers |
忆起与同僚的出行 |
| Forgot about his forest of spreadsheets |
遗忘眼前的税林 |
| And pavilions of plenty, |
和那严实的亭台 |
| Thinking about the late night drinking, |
想起深夜的畅饮 |
| The toasting – shot after shot, |
敬酒-干了一杯又一杯 |
| The hazing of the colorful dresses of the women |
彩衣妙曼的女子 |
| Paid to sit by his side, |
收钱坐于一旁 |
| Feeding him words to songs he knew |
启发他为熟知的老歌填写歌词 |
| From so long ago. |
很久很久以前 |
|
| Li Bai, |
李白 |
| Remembered these things, |
记起这一切 |
| But did not linger on them. |
然而他不曾逗留 |
| He was lost in a different place, |
迷失于另一个地方 |
| That moment when everyone had left |
众人退场的那一刻 |
| And the woman by his side was gone |
身旁的女子已离去 |
| Forgetting to close the window shade, |
却忘记关上那道窗 |
| Letting the moon shine in. |
让明月照进来 |
|
| Li Bai, |
李白 |
| Lost himself in that frosty glow |
迷失在如霜的光亮中 |
| That puddled beneath his feet |
洒落在他脚下 |
| That took him back ages |
带他回到从前 |
| That made him drown in nostalgia |
令他沉寂在思乡情愫之中 |
| Bringing words to his lips |
将诗词送到他唇边 |
| He never knew he had, |
不敢执笔写下的诗词 |
| Words he’d dare not write down. |
举头仰望，思绪万千 |
| Looking up, his mind reeled |
独自一人 |
| And all alone |
他举杯敬月 |
| He toasted the moon. |
