守岁

苏轼

欲知垂尽岁，有似赴壑蛇。

修鳞半已没，去意谁能遮。

况欲系其尾，虽勤知奈何。

儿童强不睡，相守夜欢哗。

晨鸡且勿唱，更鼓畏添挝。

坐久灯烬落，起看北斗斜。

明年岂无年，心事恐蹉跎。

努力尽今夕，少年犹可夸。

Staying up All Night on New Year’s Eve

Su Shi

The end of the year is drawing near

As a snake crawls back to its hole.

We see half its body disappear

And soon we’ll lose sight of the whole.

If we try to tie down its tail,

We can’t succeed whate’er we do.

Children will stay up and regale

Themselves with feast the whole night through.

Cocks, wake not the dawn with your song;

Drums, do not boom out the hour now!

The wick is burned as I sit long,

I rise to see the slanting Plough.

Will these be no New Year’s Eve next year?

I am afraid time waits for none.

Let us enjoy tonight with cheer

So that childhood will longer run.

（许渊冲 译）



Seeing the Year Out

Su Tung-p’o

Want to know what the passing year is like?

A snake slithering down a hole.

Half his long scales already hidden,

how to stop him from getting away?

Grab his tail and pull, you say?

Pull all you like – it does no good.

The children try hard not to doze,

chatter back and forth to stay awake,

but I say let dawn cocks keep still!

I fear the noise of watch drums pounding.

We’ve sat so long the lamp’s burned out.

I get up and look at the slanting Dipper.

How could I hope next year won’t come?

My mind shrinks from the failures it may bring.

I work to hold on to the night

while I can still brag I’m young.