Wang Wei, Prendendo
congedo
Qui fra le montagne dopo l’addio
chiudo la mia porta: fine del giorno.
A primavera tornerà erba verde.
Torni anche tu, principe degli amici?
note di A.Z.Foreman:
‘principe’ è qui un titolo onorifico in uso quale cliché
poetico inteso a ricordare l’invito ad un ‘gentiluomo ritiratosi dal mondo’.
Così il poeta tenta di persuadere il suddetto gentiluomo/principe
ad uscire dal ritiro di clausura. Enumerate le durezze della
vita solitaria in terra selvaggia, il poeta termina con i seguenti versi:
mio principe, oh,
ritorna a casa.
Fra le montagne, oh,
non puoi stare a lungo.
Taking leave
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Here in the mountains after parting
I shut my brushwood door: day ends.
In spring the greening grass will return.
Will you as well, my prince of friends?1
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Here in the mountains after parting
I shut my brushwood door: day ends.
In spring the greening grass will return.
Will you as well, my prince of friends?1
Notes:
1- "my prince..." here an honorific used as poetic cliché, meant to recall its occurrence in the Summons for a Gentleman Who Has Retired From The World (招隱士.) In it, the poet tries to persuade said gentleman/prince to come out of his reclusive retirement. After enumerating the hardships of life alone in the wildlands, the poet ends with the following lines:
王孫兮 My prince, oh,
歸來 Come back home.
山中兮 Amid the mountains, oh,
不可以久留 You cannot stay for long.
1- "my prince..." here an honorific used as poetic cliché, meant to recall its occurrence in the Summons for a Gentleman Who Has Retired From The World (招隱士.) In it, the poet tries to persuade said gentleman/prince to come out of his reclusive retirement. After enumerating the hardships of life alone in the wildlands, the poet ends with the following lines:
王孫兮 My prince, oh,
歸來 Come back home.
山中兮 Amid the mountains, oh,
不可以久留 You cannot stay for long.
