Meridiunalata X: Notes on Coming Home by He Zhizhang

賀知章 (He Zhizhang)

Following the successful reception of his translation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven into Neapolitan, and in honor of Chinese New Year, Cav. Charles Sant'Elia takes the opportunity to translate 回鄉偶書, a poem by one of the "immortals" of the Tang Dynasty, He Zhizhang (659-744). The original and English translation of the poem comes courtesy of John Turner's A Golden Treasury of Chinese Poetry, Hong Kong: Renditions Books, The Chinese University of H.K., 1989.

回鄉偶書
賀知章
少小離家老大回
鄉音無改鬢毛摧(衰)
兒童相見不相識
笑問客從何處來

Notes on Coming Home*
By He Zhizhang (659-744, Tang Dynasty)

I come home an old man; I went away young.
My accent has not changed but my hair is now gray.
I meet some village children, I am a stranger to them.
Smiling, they ask me, "Where do you come from?"

Notarelle Ncopp’’O Turnà a Casa
De He Zhizhang (659-744, Dinastia Tang)

I’ mo torno a casa nu viecchio; ca gióvene i’ partette.
L’acciento mio nun ha cagnato ma ‘e capille mieje sò ghianche.
Veco ‘e ppiccerille d’’o pajese, pe chille songo nu forestiero.
Surridenno, m’addimánnano, “’Addò bbenite vuje?”

Translated by Cav. Avv. Charles Sant’Elia