泠泠七弦上

[Guest realmayo]

泠泠七弦上，静听松风寒。古调虽自爱，今人多不弹。

I listen quietly to the cool wind in the pines

flow from the seven strings.

Though the old tunes are what I love

people don't really play them now.

How's this translation? still fiddling with the last lines.

- no one plays them now.

- people rarely play them now.

- - is it a well-known poem?

[studentyoung]

泠泠七弦上，

Music from the seven strings is clearly coming out,

静听松风寒。

while l’m quietly listening to cool wind blowing through pines.

古调虽自爱，

The old tunes are loved by myself,

今人多不弹。

but people seldom play them now.

Cheers!

[Lethe]

"no one plays them now." feels better, but changes the original meaning...the other exact but awful...quite a dilemma:(

I prefer the first one

literal translation isn't a good choice.(to studentyoung)