This is the original English translation of the renowned Chinese poem 《雨巷》(meaning Alley of Rain) by Abby Lu.
Original Chinese:
《雨巷》，戴望舒
撑着油纸伞，独自
彷徨在悠长，悠长
又寂寥的雨巷，
我希望逢着
一个丁香一样地
结着愁怨的姑娘。
她是有
丁香一样的颜色，
丁香一样的芬芳，
丁香一样的忧愁，
在雨中哀怨，
哀怨又彷徨；
她彷徨在这寂寥的雨巷，
撑着油纸伞
像我一样，像我一样地
默默彳亍着，
冷漠，凄清，又惆怅。
她静默地走近
走近，又投出
太息一般的眼光，
她飘过
像梦一般的，
像梦一般的凄婉迷茫。
像梦中飘过
一枝丁香的，
我身旁飘过这女郎；
她静默地远了，远了，
到了颓圮的篱墙，
走尽这雨巷。
在雨的哀曲里，
消了她的颜色，
散了她的芬芳
消散了，甚至她的
太息般的眼光，
丁香般的惆怅。
撑着油纸伞，独自
彷徨在悠长，悠长
又寂寥的雨巷，
我希望飘过
一个丁香一样地
结着愁怨的姑娘。
English Translation:
Alley of Rain, Dai Wangshu
Raising an oilpaper umbrella, solitarily
meandering in this long, long
and desolate alley of rain.
I long to encounter
a girl like lilac,
entangled in melancholy.
She incarnates
the hue of lilac,
the fragrant of lilac,
the woe of lilac,
sighing among rain,
sighing and ambling.
She meanders in this forlorn alley of rain,
lifting an oilpaper umbrella
just like me,
in manners just like mine
sauntering in serenity,
distant, blue, and melancholic.
In lonesome silence she approaches
approaches, and casts
a sight like sigh,
she floats by,
like in dream,
stray and woeful like dream.
Floating by ephemeral,
A branch of lilac,
the woman drifting by my side;
silently she distances, distances,
until the dilapidated fence,
the end of this alley of rain.
The requiem of rain,
washed away her hue,
dissipated her fragrance,
dissolved, even her
glance like sigh,
sorrow like lilac.
Raising an oilpaper umbrella, solitarily
meandering in a this long, long
and desolate alley of rain,
I hope to drift by,
like lilac,
a girl entangled in melancholy.
Credits to Rose Shen for translating 丁香 to “lilac” instead of “clove” and other beautiful words.
The Big Duck 