Li chingchao was the greatest poetess of China. Once her husband asked one of his friends to pick out the best lines that he liked from a number of his poems, having, however, concealed in them some pieces by his wife. The friend picked out, to his dismay, only lined from her pen! The beauty of her words in expressing the ultimateforlornnessin separation in his poem can only be suggested in the translation.

李清照是中国最伟大的女词人。流传着这样一个典故，他的丈夫让他的一个朋友从一本掺了一首李清照词作的词集中挑选最好的一首词，让他失望的是，他的朋友选出来的恰恰是李清照所作的那唯一一首。她词作所传递的分离之后最深远的孤独和凄凉能完全在翻译中展现。

Forlorn

From the washed jade collection (suyu tze)

Li chingchao 1081-after1141

声声慢·李清照

选自《漱玉词》

So dim, so dark,

So dense, so dull,

So damp, so dank,

So dead!

寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。

暗淡，漆黑，压抑，无聊，潮湿难耐，一片死寂！

The weather, now warm, now cold,

Makes it harder

Than ever to forget!

乍暖还寒时候，最难将息。

这时节，寒暖无常，恰恰是最难忘记的。

How can a few cups of thin wine

Bring warmth against

The chilly winds of sunset?

三杯两盏淡酒，怎敌他、晚来风急？

几杯薄酒的温意，怎能抵御日落后凛冽的寒风？

I recognize the geese flying overhead:

My old friends,

Bring not the old memories back!

雁过也，正伤心，却是旧时相识！

我认出头顶飞过的大雁，是旧友，却带不回旧时的回忆！

Let fallen flowers lies where they fall.

To what purpose

And for whom should I decorate?

满地黄花堆积，憔悴损，如今有谁堪摘。

就让落花留在它落下的位置吧，又有什么理由或者是为了谁去拿它装饰。

By the window shut,

Guarding it alone,

To see the sky has turned so black!

守着窗儿独自怎生得黑。

独自守着紧闭的窗子，默默守着天空由白转黑的变迁。

And the drizzle on the kolanut

Keeps on droning:

Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat!

梧桐更兼细雨。

雨打可乐果（坑爹啊）劈啪作响。

Is this the kind of mood and moment

To be expressed

By one word “sad”?

这次第，怎一个愁字了得？

此时此景所传递的，不正是“愁”所表达的？