许渊冲--诗译英法专家 ，北京大学教授，翻译家。希望这套许氏译本能使英语读者对中国经典诗文也能“知之，好之，乐之”，能够分享孔子、老子的智慧，分享唐诗、宋词、中国古典戏曲的优美，并以此促进东西文化的交流。值得珍藏。许渊冲先生从事翻译工作70年，2010年12月荣获“中国翻译文化终身成就奖”。他被称为将中国诗词译成英法韵文的专家，经他的妙手，许多中国经典诗文被译成出色的英文和法文韵语。这套“中国经典诗文集”就是由他所译，前半部分是英文，后半部分是中文。

Ancient Chinese classic poems are exquisite works of art. As far as 2,000 years ago, Chinese poets composed the beautiful work Book of Poetry and Elegies of the South, Later, they created more splendid Tang poetry and Song lyrics. Such classic works as Thus Spoke the Master and Laws: Divine and Human were extremely significant in building and shaping the culture of the Chinese nation. These works are both a cultural bond linking the thoughts and affections of Chinese people and an important bridge for Chinese culture and the world. Mr. Xu Yuanchong has been engaged in translation for 70 years. In December 2010, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation conferred by the Translators Association of China (TAC). He is honored as the only expert who translates Chinese poems into both English and French. After his excellent interpretation, many Chinese classic poems have been further refined into perfect English and French rhymes. This collection of Classical Chinese Poetry and Prose gathers his most representative English translations. It includes the classic works Thus Spoke the Master, Laws: Divine and Human and dramas such as Romance of the Western Bower, Dream in Peony Pavilion,  Love in Long-life Hall and Peach Blossom Painted with Blood. The largest part of the collection includes the translation of selected poems from different dynasties. The selection includes various types of poems, lyrics and Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty songs. The selected works start from the pre-Qin era to the Qing Dynasty, covering almost the entire history of classic poems in China. Reading these works is like tasting "living water from the source" of Chinese culture. We hope this collection will help English readers "know, love and appreciate" Chinese classic poems, share the intelligence of Confucius and Lao Tzu, share the gracefulness of Tang Dynasty poems, Song lyrics and classic operas and songs and promote exchanges between Eastern and Western culture.  This book is one of the 14 books of Classical Chinese Poetry and Prose, a translation of Confucian classics Thus Spoke the Master.

    历代诗、词、曲译成英文，且能押韵自然，功力过人，实为有史以来di一。
    ——顾毓琇，已故美国宾州大学荣誉退休教授
    
    许教授已因其对中国诗歌的韵译而赢得世界性的声誉。
    ——奚如谷，加州大学伯克利分校教授
    
    许教授的《楚辞》英译当算英美文学里的一座高峰。
    ——寇志明，澳大利亚墨尔本大学学者
    
    许译《西厢记》在艺术性和吸引力方面，可以和莎士比亚的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》媲美。
    ——英国智慧女神出版社

Song of Peach Blossom Cottage

In the Peach Blossom Land there is a peach blossom plot;

A peach blossom lover lives in Peach Blossom Cot.

The peach blossom lover plants peach trees in days fine;

He sells his peach blossoms for money to buy wine.

When he is not drunk, he would sit before the flowers;

He would lie beneath them to spend his drunken hours.

From day to day half-drunk, half-sober he’d appear;

The peach flowers blossom and fall from year to year.

I would grow old and die among flowers and wine,

Rather than bow before the steed and carriage fine.

The rich may love their dust-raising carriages and bowers;

The poor only enjoy their cup of wine and flowers.

If you compare the poor with the rich low and high,

You’ll find the one on earth, the other in the sky.

If you compare the poor with the carriage and steed,

The poor have leisure while the rich gallop with speed.

Others may pity me so foolish and so mad;

I laugh at them for those who can’t see through are sad.

Can you find where the tombs of gallant heroes stand?

Without flowers or wine they turn into ploughland.

桃花庵歌

桃花坞里桃花庵，桃花庵里桃花仙；

桃花仙人种桃树，又摘桃花换酒钱。

酒醒只在花前坐，酒醉还来花下眠；

半醉半醒日复日，花落花开年复年。

但愿老死花酒间，不愿鞠躬车马前；

车尘马足富者趣，酒盏花枝贫者缘。

若将富贵比贫者，一在平地一在天；

若将贫贱比车马，他得驱驰我得闲。

别人笑我忒风颠，我笑他人看不穿；

不见五陵豪杰墓？无花无酒锄作田。

Song of a Year

There are three hundred and sixty days in a year;

Spring, summer, autumn, winter, each has ninty days.

It’s hard to bear in winter biting cold severe;

In summer it is boiling hot as in a blaze.

The third and ninth moons in spring and autumn are mild;

But in mild days there’s cutting wind or driving rain.

On counting up, few days are fine but many wild;

Without fine scenery, fine days are passed in vain.

If we should meet fine scenery when days are fine.

Together we’d make merry and delight our heart.

If we did not light candles bright and drink sweet wine,

We might misspend our life and play not well our part.

How wise is the motto said by the sage of old.

We should enjoy by candlelight sweet vernal flowers!

One vernal hour is worth a thousand coins of gold;

I say a thousand coins can’t buy back vernal hours.

一年歌

一年三百六十日，春夏秋冬各九十。

冬寒夏热最难当，寒则如刀热如炙。

春三秋九号温和，天气温和风雨多。

一年细算良辰少，况又难逢美景何？

美景良辰倘相遇，又有赏心并乐事；

不烧高烛对芳尊，也是虚生在人世。

古人有言亦达哉，劝人秉烛夜游来。

春宵一刻千金价，我道千金买不回。

Contents

目 录

Song Dynasty

Preface 

Chen Tuan

My Hermitage

Liu Kai

On the Frontier

Wang Yucheng

In Banishment

The Mourning Day

Yang Pu

The Double Seventh Eve

Kou Zhun

On the River

Lin Bu

To the Mume Blossom

Fan Zhongyan

The Fisherman on the Stream

Yan Shu

To One Unnamed

Song Qi

To the Fallen Flower

Mei Yaochen

Roving in the Mountains

Ouyang Xiu

Reply to a Banished Friend 

Before the Pavilion

Written in Dream

Su Shunqin

Passing by Suzhou

Li Gou

Nostalgia

Shao Yong

Song of Flower Spray

Wen Tong

The Moon Viewed After Rain in the Mountain

Zeng Gong

The West Tower......

宋 代

陈抟

归隐

柳开

塞上

王禹偁

村行

清明

杨朴

七夕

寇准

书河上亭壁

林逋

山园小梅

范仲淹

江上渔者

晏殊

无题

宋祁

落花

梅尧臣

鲁山山行

欧阳修

戏答元珍

丰乐亭游春

梦中作

苏舜钦

过苏州

李觏

乡思

邵雍

插花吟

文同

新晴山月

曾巩

西楼......