贈衛八處士

To My Retired Friend Wei

杜甫 Du Fu 

人生不相見，動如參與商。今夕復何夕，共此燈燭光！
少壯能幾時？鬢髮各已蒼！訪舊半爲鬼，驚呼熱中腸。
焉知二十載，重上君子堂。昔別君未婚，兒女忽成行。
怡然敬父執，問我來何方？問答乃未已，驅兒羅酒漿。
夜雨剪春韭，新炊間黃粱。主稱會面難，一舉累十觴。
十觴亦不醉，感子故意長。明日隔山嶽，世事兩茫茫。

We have been unable to see each other for so long,
We have been like morning and evening stars that never meet in the sky.
What a night this has been?
For us to share this candlelight.

For how long does youth last?
Your hair has greyed and so has mine.
Of the old acquaintances I called upon, half of them have ghosts become,
Aghast and gut-wrenched I cried.

All of a sudden twenty years have gone by
Before I could again call on where you reside.
You were not engaged when we went our separate ways,
You are now married with children after all this time.
They courteously greet their father’s friend,
And my journey enquire.
Before I could their curiosity satisfy,
You have your son bringing out the wine.

We nibble on spring chives just gathered in the evening rain,
In a fresh meal that rough grains contain,
You marvel at how unexpected such a reunion is,
In one raise of a cup, you gulp down more than a pint.
Pints after, high in spirit you are, yet sober still,
And I am grateful for your friendship so genuine.
From tomorrow, there will be mountains to us separate,
What the future holds is veiled and vague.

這首詩寫久別的老友重逢話舊，家常情境。開頭四句說：人生動輒如參、商二星，此出彼沒，不得相見；今夕又是何夕，咱們一同在這燈燭光下敘談。這幾句從離別說到聚首，亦悲亦喜，悲喜交集，把強烈的人生感慨帶入了詩篇。詩人與衛八重逢時，安史之亂已延續了三年多，雖然兩京已經收復，但叛軍仍很猖獗，局勢動盪不安。詩人的慨嘆，正暗隱着對這個亂離時代的感受。
久別重逢，彼此容顏的變化，自然最容易引起注意。別離時兩人都還年輕，而此時俱已鬢髮斑白了。

行草 74x199cm 二連屏

2018 戊戌