asked the wizard to divine for him.The wizard urged him to leave and told him why 索道茅以筵策兮， With a magic grass and some bamboo tablets I appealed 命灵氛为余占之。 to a wizard to practise divination for me.He said 日：“两美其必合兮， "The two beauties(referring to wise emperor and worthy 孰信修而幕之？ ministers)must unite.Those who sincerely cultivate 思九州之博大分， themselves would be admired.The worid is so wide 岂唯是其有女？” that beautiful woen can be found outside this place." 曰：“勉远逝而无狐疑兮，“1 advise you to fly far and wide.Don'thestae 孰求美而释女？ People who look for beauties(worthy personel)would 何所独无芳草兮， not forsake you.Youcn find fragrant grasses(beautiful 尔何怀乎故宇？ women)everywhere in the world.Why should you so 世幽昧以眩曜兮， bitterly ong for your native land?The worid is dark, 孰云察余之善恶？ making people dizzy.Who would be able to 民好恶其不同兮， distinguish ou evilfrom our good?People have 准此党人其独异。 different likes and dislikes.These petty partisans are 户服艾以盛要兮， particularly queer.Most people wear mugwort around 谓确兰其不可佩。 their waists,saying thathids are worthless.They 览摩草木其犹未得兮， even cannot distinguish weeds from crops,how can 岂理美之能当？ they properly evaluate jade articles?They fill their 苏粪壤以充韩兮， pockets with muck,saying that prickly ash is not 谓申救其不芳。” sweet.” II.(2)After hearing the wizard's advice,and considering the situation of the Chu State,the poet finally decided to leave his native land. 欲从灵氛之吉占兮， After hearing from the wizard that the divination 心犹豫而狐疑。 promised well.I hesitated and feit doubtful. 12
巫咸将夕降兮， I heard that wizard Wuxian would appeal to God 怀椒精而要之。 to descendfrom Heaven this night.I brought 百神翳其备降兮， prickly ash and refined rice to welcome him 九疑缤其并迎。 All gods descended from Heaven blotting ou the sky 皇刻刘其扬灵兮， and covering up the sun,while gods from Jiuning 告余以吉故。 Mountain came out in profusion to welcome them. 曰：“勉升降以上下兮， Their haloes glittered showing their divine power. 求矩捷之所同 Wuxian told me many propitious stories,saving: 汤禹严而求合兮， "You should make an effort to go up and down to look 挚咎繇而能调。 for comrades.Emperors Tang and Yu were anxious 苟中情其好修兮， formen of worth and ability.Thus they obtained wise 又何必用夫行煤 ministers like Yiyin and Gaotao and worked hamoniously 说操筑于傅岩兮， As long as one is kind-hearted and practises self-cultivation, 武丁用而不疑。 what is the use of match-makers?Fu Yue used to build 吕望之鼓刀兮， walis with pestles in Fuyan(Shanxi province) 遭周文而得举。 Emperor Wudin(Yin Gao Zhong)didn't hesitate to use 宁威之讴歌兮， him as prime minister.Lu Wang(Jiang Taigong)used to 齐短闻以该辅。 be a butcher,he was lucky to meet Emperor 及年岁之未要兮， Zhou Weng Wang and was appointed premier 时亦犹其未央。 Nigi used to feed cattle,singing songs accompanied 恐鹣鹅之先鸣兮， by beating ox hom.After hearing the song, 使夫百草为之不芳，” EmperrQ Wangong appointed him as a senior ffca 何琼佩之偃蹇兮， While we are still young,we have plenty of time to put 众菱然而蔽之。 our talent to good use.I ony fear cuckoos sing too early, 推此党人之不谅兮， lest flowers should allall.Why should people block the 恐嫉妒而折之 briliance ofsofine a jade pendant?Thinking of the treachery 时缤纷其变易兮， of these petty partisans,Iam afraid their jealousy would 又何可以淹留。 spoil it.Times are chaotic and fickle,how can I stay here for 13
兰芷变而不芳兮， long?Orchids and Dahurian angelicas have lost their 荟蕙化而为茅。 fragrance,and quan grasses have changed into cogon grasses. 何昔日之芳草兮， Why yesterday's fragrant grasses have all changed 今直为此萧艾也？ into todayswomwoods and mugwors?Are there 岂其有他故兮， other reasons than the harm caused by neglect of moral 莫好修之害也 cultivation?I used to regard ohids most reliable.Who knows 余以兰为可恃兮， that theyare flashy and without substance.They give up their 羌天实而容长。 good qualities and follow vuigar customs,trying their best to 委戚美以从俗兮， squeeze into the ranks of pretty flowers.Prickly ashes are 苟得列乎众芳。 despotic,flattering and arrogant.Comels wish to enter the 椒专佞以慢悟兮， sachet,passing off as fragrant flowers.Since they are so 椴又欲充夫佩韩。 anxious to cury favor with high ofcials,surely they cannot 既干进而务入兮， emit fragrance.Since drifting with the tide is the way of the 又何芳之能祇。 world,who can be steadfast without change?Even prickly ash 固时俗之流从兮， and orchid have deteriorated to such a state,how can Jiangli 又孰能无变化？ (Gracilaria confervoides)remain unchanged.Oniy my 览椒兰其若兹兮， omaments are most precious as they can maintain their 又况揭车与江离。 beauty until today.Their fragrance can hardly vanish indeed. 惟兹佩之可贵兮， I wisely adjust myself to seek amusement.When I am still 委限美而历兹。 young,and my omamentsare still pretty,I'l trave around 芳菲菲而难亏兮， the world to look for beautiful women(sagacious people 芬至今犹未沫！ who understand Qu Yuan). 和调度以自娱兮， 聊浮游而求女。 及余怖之方壮兮， 周流观乎上下。 DI.(3)Accepting the wizard's advice,the poet decided to travel far and wide.however,he 14
was reluctant to leave his native land. 灵氛既告余以吉占兮， The wizard has told me that I'll be blessed by a lucky star 历吉日乎吾将行。 SoI'l select a good day to start my joumey.I'll break a 折琼枝以为羞兮， branch of jasper tree as dried meat and pulverize jade as 精琼糜以为粮 solid food.A flying dragon will drive my carriage,which 为余驾飞龙兮， is decorated with jade andvory.How could I coperate 杂瑶象以为车 with the dissenter?I would leave him and go far away 何离心之可同兮， I tured my way toward Kunlun Mountain.The way was long 吾将远逝以自疏 I contined to travel.Clouds flew covering the sun. 遑吾道夫昆仑兮， Bells n the carriage jingled along.In the moming I started 路修运以周流 from the ferry of the Milky Way.In the evening I arrived at 扬云霓之腌藩兮， the extreme west.The phoenix spread its wings to bear the 鸣玉鸾之嗽啾。 cloud.It flew high and rhythmically.Suddenly 1 came to the 朝发韧于天津兮， desert.Along the Red River I could walk only slowly 夕余至乎西极 I commanded the lddragon to build a bridge at the ferry, 风皇翼其承旗兮， and ordered the God of the West to ferry me to the other shore. 高潮翔之具翼。 Seeing the joumey long and risky,Iordered my carriages to 忽吾行此流沙兮， wait at the roadside.I passed through Buzhou Mountain, 遵赤水而容与。 then I tumed to the left.My destination was the sea of the 魔蛟龙使梁津兮， west.I gathered a thousand carriages,put their wheels on a 诏西皇使涉予。 par,and let them run side by side.The eight dragons carrying 路修远以多娘兮， the carriage wriggled forward,while the ags 牖众车使径待。 bearing the clouds fluttered in the wind.I controled my 路不周以左转兮， emotion and moved forward slowly.But my sentiments flew 指西海以为期。 high,could hardiy be controlled.I played the Jiuge music and 屯余车其千乘兮， danced the Jiushao dance.Let me avail myself of my splendid 齐玉状而并驰。 youth to seek pleasure.The aune in the east and shone 15
驾八龙之蜿婉兮， brightly over the earth.Suddenly I saw my native land 载云旗之委蛇。 My servant felt sorry for me and my horse hesitated to go 抑志而葬节兮， forward.Epilogue:"Let it be!Since my fellow country men 神高驰之邈邈。 fail to understand me,why should I yeam for my hometown? 奏《九歌》而舞《韶》分， Since I cannot realize my political ideal,Il follow ancient 聊假日以愉乐。 Sage Pengxian's example." 步升皇之赫戏兮， 忽临睨夫旧乡。 仆夫悲余马怀兮， 蟋局顾而不行。 乱日：已矣哉！ 国无人莫我知兮， 又何怀乎故都？ 既美足与为美政兮， 吾将从彭咸之所居！ 附《高骚》白话翻译： 我是古帝颛项（高阳）的子孙， 我披挂着香草江离与芷草， 我的父亲叫伯庸。 还把秋兰结成绳作为装饰。 我生于寅年寅月寅日， 时光如逝水令我跟不上， 即楚宜王三十年正月七日（公元前340）， 年岁不等我令我心慌。 父亲观察衡量我的生辰， 阜晨我在出坡上采集木兰， 开始蝎给我一个美名： 晚上我在小洲上采取宿莽。 把我的名取为正则， 光阴速逝不停留， 并把我的字叫作灵均。 春去秋来，以次相代。 我天生就有许多内在美德， 我想到草木逐渐落， 又不断加强后天的修养。 恐怕君臣年老力衰。 16