Different Translations of 满江红
Translation with emphasis on Faithfulness
Avenging an Insult
Yue Fei (Translated by Zhang Yixing)
Angry hair shooting up my hat,
I climbed a height alone full of hate
And leaned on a balustrade to gaze into a distant land,
When a torrential rain just stopped.
I raised my head to look up into the sky
And heaved a deep sigh,
While blood in my heart ran high.
Now I am over thirty years old,
But my merits are as trifling as dust cold,
Although I’ve fought day and night, north and south,
For eight thousand miles all told.
Don’t fritter away your precious time,
For when white hair creeps into your head,
You’ll be vainly grieved.
The deep disgrace received in Jingkang age (1127)
by Emperors Huei and Qin has not been revenged.
When will the indignation of officials be subdued?
I must drive a chariot to He Lan Mountain Range
To crush our enemy’s stronghold, for a long age.
With a noble aspiration,
I’ll eat the Tartar’s meat when I am hungry,
And merrily drink the Hun’s blood when I am thirsty.
Let me from the start recapture our lost territory
And report victories to the Imperial Court.
Translation with emphasis on Expressiveness
River Full of Red
Yue Fei (Translated by Zhu Manhua)
My angry hair props my hat up,
I am leaning against the railing,
Waiting for the pattering rain to stop.
Looking up at the sky,
I make a loud cry,
Out of my strong desire.
I am thirty years old now,
Achieving nothing well-known.
I have campaigned 8000 miles here and there,
With clouds and the moon as my accompanier.
Don’t dawdle away your time,
For your hair will soon turn gray,
All you can do is lament in vain.
Don’t put our motherland to shame,
We must give back her glorious name.
My hatred to the Hun is not tame.
Let’s harness the long warring chariot again,
Pass and conquer the Helan Mountain,
To destroy the Hun’s army men.
We brave hungry fighters eat the captive Hun,
We thirsty soldiers drink the Hun’s blood for fun.
Let’s begin to recover all of our territory,
To announce this good news to our own country.
Translation with Emphasis on Elegance
Manjianghong
Yue Fei (Translated by Xu Zhongjie)
My hair bristling with ire. I grimace in pain
My grip on a rail, at a lull in a rain.l
Eyes skyward turned. I make a desperate roar.
My inner self agitated to the core.
Battling hard and long — under moon or sun.
Up to thirty, few merits have I won.
Tarry not, to see youthful hair turning white;
Regret in vain, when old, one’s pitiful sight.
Not yet avenged for the shame of Jingkang,
My feelings about the defeat are strong.
I’d ride on a chariot as a he-man,
And make a break through the gap at Helanshan.
I could feed on the Hun’s flesh, forsooth,
In hunger — in the spirit of youth.
I could drink the Hun’s blood in a jovial mood;
If I were thirsty enough, indeed, I would.
Let’s start anew: regain land that was our own;
With triumph, present ourselves before the Throne.
