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The Hardships of the Shu Road
English Poetic Translation
Alas, how steep! How perilous and high!
The trek to Shu is harder than climbing up the azure sky!
Cancong and Yufu founded realms in ancient mist,
For forty-eight millennia, no mortal track existed.
Westward the Taibai peak admits the falcon's flight,
While Emei's summit brushes heaven's height.
The earth collapsed, the heroes died beneath the stone,
Before the heavenly ladders and plank-roads were thrown.
Above, the chariot's six-dragon sun is forced to turn;
Below, the twisting torrents churn.
Even the yellow crane on rapid wing must fail,
And agile gibbons grieve along the trail.
How coiling, twisting is the dark Green Mud slope,
A hundred steps, nine turns beyond all hope.
One touches Can and Jing, then holds the breath in fright,
And beats the breast, lamenting at the height.
O traveler heading west, when will you homeward roam?
These jagged cliffs forbid you steps to roam.
Only the grieving birds in withered branches cry,
As mates call out beneath the forest sky.
The cuckoo wails all night beneath the moon, forlorn,
Above empty mountains where the heart is torn.
The road to Shu is harder than the azure sky!
It drains the youthful color as you pass it by.
Peak upon peak, not matching heaven by an inch,
Where ancient pines hang downward, dead and stanch.
The roaring torrents crash against the stone,
With thunder echoing in valleys lone.
Such perils wait—why, traveler, do you dare
To brave this pass and breathe the mountain air?
Sword Gate towers high, defiant in the gloom,
Where one guards well against a thousand's doom.
If those who hold the gate prove false or cold,
They turn to wolves and jackals, fierce and bold.
At dawn avoid the tiger, and at dusk the snake,
Whose bloody fangs the lives of thousands take.
Though Brocade City boasts of ease and cheer,
It is far better to be home from here.
The road to Shu is harder than the azure sky,
I lean toward the west and heave a sigh.
The trek to Shu is harder than climbing up the azure sky!
Cancong and Yufu founded realms in ancient mist,
For forty-eight millennia, no mortal track existed.
Westward the Taibai peak admits the falcon's flight,
While Emei's summit brushes heaven's height.
The earth collapsed, the heroes died beneath the stone,
Before the heavenly ladders and plank-roads were thrown.
Above, the chariot's six-dragon sun is forced to turn;
Below, the twisting torrents churn.
Even the yellow crane on rapid wing must fail,
And agile gibbons grieve along the trail.
How coiling, twisting is the dark Green Mud slope,
A hundred steps, nine turns beyond all hope.
One touches Can and Jing, then holds the breath in fright,
And beats the breast, lamenting at the height.
O traveler heading west, when will you homeward roam?
These jagged cliffs forbid you steps to roam.
Only the grieving birds in withered branches cry,
As mates call out beneath the forest sky.
The cuckoo wails all night beneath the moon, forlorn,
Above empty mountains where the heart is torn.
The road to Shu is harder than the azure sky!
It drains the youthful color as you pass it by.
Peak upon peak, not matching heaven by an inch,
Where ancient pines hang downward, dead and stanch.
The roaring torrents crash against the stone,
With thunder echoing in valleys lone.
Such perils wait—why, traveler, do you dare
To brave this pass and breathe the mountain air?
Sword Gate towers high, defiant in the gloom,
Where one guards well against a thousand's doom.
If those who hold the gate prove false or cold,
They turn to wolves and jackals, fierce and bold.
At dawn avoid the tiger, and at dusk the snake,
Whose bloody fangs the lives of thousands take.
Though Brocade City boasts of ease and cheer,
It is far better to be home from here.
The road to Shu is harder than the azure sky,
I lean toward the west and heave a sigh.
Classical Chinese & Pinyin
噫籲嚱！危乎高哉！蜀道之難難於上青天！蠶叢及魚鳧，開國何茫然。
爾來四萬八千歲，乃與秦塞通人煙。
西當太白有鳥道，可以橫絕峨眉巔。
地崩山摧壯士死，然後天梯石棧方鉤連。
上有六龍迴日之高標，下有衝波逆折之迴川。
黃鶴之飛尚不得，猨猱欲度愁攀緣。
青泥何盤盤，百步九折縈巖巒。
捫參歷井仰脅息，以手撫膺坐長歎。
問君西遊何時還？畏途巉巖不可攀。
但見悲鳥號枯木，雄飛呼雌繞林間。
又聞子規啼夜月，愁空山，蜀道之難難於上青天！使人聽此彫朱顏。
連峯去天不盈尺，枯松倒掛倚絕壁。
飛湍瀑流相喧豗，砅崖轉石萬壑雷。
其嶮也若此，嗟爾遠道之人胡爲乎來哉？劒閣崢嶸而崔嵬，一夫當關，萬夫莫開。
所守或匪親，化爲狼與豺。
朝避猛虎，夕避長蛇。
磨牙吮血，殺人如麻。
錦城雖雲樂，不如早還家。
蜀道之難難於上青天，側身西望長諮嗟。
爾來四萬八千歲，乃與秦塞通人煙。
西當太白有鳥道，可以橫絕峨眉巔。
地崩山摧壯士死，然後天梯石棧方鉤連。
上有六龍迴日之高標，下有衝波逆折之迴川。
黃鶴之飛尚不得，猨猱欲度愁攀緣。
青泥何盤盤，百步九折縈巖巒。
捫參歷井仰脅息，以手撫膺坐長歎。
問君西遊何時還？畏途巉巖不可攀。
但見悲鳥號枯木，雄飛呼雌繞林間。
又聞子規啼夜月，愁空山，蜀道之難難於上青天！使人聽此彫朱顏。
連峯去天不盈尺，枯松倒掛倚絕壁。
飛湍瀑流相喧豗，砅崖轉石萬壑雷。
其嶮也若此，嗟爾遠道之人胡爲乎來哉？劒閣崢嶸而崔嵬，一夫當關，萬夫莫開。
所守或匪親，化爲狼與豺。
朝避猛虎，夕避長蛇。
磨牙吮血，殺人如麻。
錦城雖雲樂，不如早還家。
蜀道之難難於上青天，側身西望長諮嗟。
Philological Direct Translation
Ah, expression of awe! Perilous how high! The Shu road's difficulty is harder than ascending the blue heaven! Cancong and Yufu, founding states, how vague and distant!
Since then four tens of thousands and eight thousand years, then with the Qin passes communicated human smoke.
West abutting Taibai there is bird path, can horizontally cross Emei peak.
Earth collapsed and mountains shattered brave men died, afterwards heavenly ladders and stone plank roads then were hooked and linked.
Above there are six dragons wheeling sun's high marker, below there are rushing waves adversely turning winding rivers.
Yellow cranes in flying still cannot attain, gibbons desiring to cross worry at climbing and grasping.
Qingni how coiling and circling, a hundred paces nine bends winding around cliff peaks.
Touching the stars of Can and passing Jing, gazing upward holding breath, with hands clutching chest sitting and long sighing.
Asking you, western journey, when to return? Dangerous paths jagged rocks cannot be climbed.
Only seeing sorrowful birds crying at withered trees, males flying calling females circling forest space.
Again hearing cuckoos crying at night moon, grieving empty mountains, the Shu road's difficulty is harder than ascending the blue heaven! Causing men hearing this to wither vermilion faces.
Linked peaks apart from heaven not filling an inch, withered pines inverted hanging leaning against precipitous walls.
Flying torrents and cascading streams mutually roaring and clamoring, splashing cliffs and turning stones ten thousand valleys thunder.
Their dangerousness is like this, alas you distant traveling person why for what do you come? Jiandegang towering and majestic, one man defending the pass, ten thousand men cannot open it.
Those guarding perhaps are not kin, transformed into wolves and jackals.
Morning avoiding fierce tigers, evening avoiding long snakes.
Grinding teeth sucking blood, killing men like hemp.
Brocade City although they say is joyful, not as good as early returning home.
Shu road's difficulty is harder than ascending the blue heaven, turning sideways western gazing long groaning and sighing.
Since then four tens of thousands and eight thousand years, then with the Qin passes communicated human smoke.
West abutting Taibai there is bird path, can horizontally cross Emei peak.
Earth collapsed and mountains shattered brave men died, afterwards heavenly ladders and stone plank roads then were hooked and linked.
Above there are six dragons wheeling sun's high marker, below there are rushing waves adversely turning winding rivers.
Yellow cranes in flying still cannot attain, gibbons desiring to cross worry at climbing and grasping.
Qingni how coiling and circling, a hundred paces nine bends winding around cliff peaks.
Touching the stars of Can and passing Jing, gazing upward holding breath, with hands clutching chest sitting and long sighing.
Asking you, western journey, when to return? Dangerous paths jagged rocks cannot be climbed.
Only seeing sorrowful birds crying at withered trees, males flying calling females circling forest space.
Again hearing cuckoos crying at night moon, grieving empty mountains, the Shu road's difficulty is harder than ascending the blue heaven! Causing men hearing this to wither vermilion faces.
Linked peaks apart from heaven not filling an inch, withered pines inverted hanging leaning against precipitous walls.
Flying torrents and cascading streams mutually roaring and clamoring, splashing cliffs and turning stones ten thousand valleys thunder.
Their dangerousness is like this, alas you distant traveling person why for what do you come? Jiandegang towering and majestic, one man defending the pass, ten thousand men cannot open it.
Those guarding perhaps are not kin, transformed into wolves and jackals.
Morning avoiding fierce tigers, evening avoiding long snakes.
Grinding teeth sucking blood, killing men like hemp.
Brocade City although they say is joyful, not as good as early returning home.
Shu road's difficulty is harder than ascending the blue heaven, turning sideways western gazing long groaning and sighing.