If it rains
如果下雨
in the Forbidden City
在紫禁城內
your majesty
皇上
may listen
可以聆聽
to the raindrops
飛簷與斗拱之間的
among cornices and brackets,
淅瀝
cadenzas on the colored tiles.
墁磚上一片華彩
Under green slate,
青石板下
thin streams
涓涓的細流
gurgle and whirl
汩汩迴旋
by Wuying Palace,
繞過武英殿
by Wenyuan Chamber.
繞過文淵閣
Water murmurs underground
淙淙的地下水
like a buried dragon’s
像潛龍
beating pulse.
生機勃勃的
On rainy days
脈息
your majesty
皇上
may chant
可以吟詠
your own imperial poems.
雨天種種
御製詩
Floods crest in far off places.
Floods crest in far off places.
洪水在遠方氾濫
Mountain cities, stairways
洪水在遠方氾濫
drown in the riptide.
山城與階梯
Ordinary people
沒入激流
pole their boats by Jing Mountain on the Han.
庶民
於荊漢市上撑船
If rain keeps up
in the Forbidden City,
如果繼續下雨
your majesty
在紫禁城內
may admire the sight
皇上
of a thousand one hundred forty-two
可以觀賞
delicately carved hornless dragon heads
環抱太和殿
embracing the Hall of Supreme Harmony,
中和殿以及
the Hall of Central Harmony,
保和殿
the Hall of Preserved Harmony,
那一千一百四十二個
watch them spit out
雕刻精緻的螭首
torrential flying spring.
看它們吐出
Beholding this
滂沱的飛泉
exquisite great fountain,
對於這個
your majesty,
玲瓏的大水法
do you feel agreeable?
皇上
可還感到愜意嗎
Big rivers surge in far off places.
Big rivers surge in far off places.
大河在遠方暴漲
River water flows backward
大河在遠方暴漲
to Bashu.
江水倒流
On the Longyang Gorge
入巴蜀
waves rise up.
龍羊峽上
起波濤
Heavy rain
in the Forbidden City
更大的雨
is no more than
在紫禁城中
a strangely sheer landscape.
不外是
Rainwater complies
奇峻的風景
with the forbidden palace’s topography:
雨水
higher in the north, lower in the south,
依據禁宮
converging swiftly, branching
北高南低的地勢
toward the Chamber of Spreading Righteousness, the Right-wing Gate,
迅速滙瀉
toward the Chamber of Body Benevolence, the Left-wing Gate,
流向弘義閣、右翼門
down the steps
流向體仁閣、左翼門
through the arched hollows of the white-stone bridges,
流向台階下
pouring into the Inner Golden Water River,
白石的券洞
the Tonghui River,
注入
the Outer Golden Water River,
內金水河
the Tongzi River.
通惠河
The Forbidden City, enclosed by moats,
外金水河
the one
筒子河
and only place
護城河內的紫禁城
on our whole nation’s map
在我國的地圖上
that never sees
是一處
a flood.
是唯一處
從來沒有水患的
地方