萧瑟兮草木摇落而变衰。
Plants do wither and leaves fall in its soughs and chill,
憭栗兮若在远行；登山临水兮送将归。
Which is suggestive of th' tramp in a place remote,
Or of sending off a friend beyond th' hills and rill.
泬寥兮天高而气清；
Void and empty th' sky is high, and the draught is cold;
寂漻兮收潦而水清，
With little rain the rivers are wretchedly clear.
To the sorrow and grief of the unprotected,
憯凄增欷兮薄寒之中人。
The early chill adds a depressing atmosphere.
怆怳懭悢兮去故而就新；坎廪兮贫士失职而志不平。
Compell'd to leave home for a strange place, I'm distress'd;
Reliev'd of my post, indignation in me does burn.
廓落兮羁旅而无友生；惆怅兮而私自怜。
A wanderer who finds no companions but grief
And distress can just tell himself his own concern.
燕翩翩其辞归兮，蝉寂漠而无声；
The swallows, dipping and darting, are faring home,
And the cicadas become taciturn amain.
雁雍雍而南游兮，鵾鸡啁晰而悲鸣。
The wild geese, cawing plaintively, are now southbound,
And the partridges are cuckooing with pain.
独申旦而不寐兮，哀蟋蟀之宵征。
Melancholic at night I lie awake till dawn,
Th' crickets chirping here and there as if with distress.
时亹亹而过中兮，蹇淹留而无成。
How time flies!
Half my life has silently passed
Without any visibility of success!
悲忧贫蹙兮独处廓，有美一人兮心不绎。
Stricken with poverty, sorrow, grievance and cares,
Th' gentleman in solitude wears a face of woe.
去乡离家兮徕远客，超逍遥兮今焉薄？
Away from home he is stranded in a strange place,
Wandering alone without knowing where to go.
专思君兮不可化，君不知兮可奈何！
Devotedly he yearns for th' king without being
Understood, with which he does not know how to deal.
蓄怨兮积思，心烦憺兮忘食事。
Grievances and affection pent-up at his heart,
He oft-times feels sad and forgets about his meal.
愿一见兮道余意，君之心兮与余异。
Though aware that the king does not share the same view,
His ideas to the king he wishes to impart!
车既驾兮朅而归，不得见兮心伤悲。
Full of hope he starts off in his carriage; deni'd
An audience he returns with a sadden'd heart!
倚结軨兮长太息，涕潺湲兮下沾轼。
Leaning back in th' carriage he does grieve, sigh and moan,
Rueful tears rolling down and wetting the armrest.
忼慨绝兮不得，中瞀乱兮迷惑。
Indignant but unwilling to part hands with th' throne,
He feels deeply bewilder'd and greatly distress'd.
私自怜兮何极，心怦怦兮谅直。
His grief and worries and self-pity see no bounds,
And yet that honest heart of his righteously pounds!
皇天平分四时兮，窃独悲此凛秋。
Providence has cut a year into four seasons,
Of which I feel so sorry for autumn alone.
白露既下百草兮，奄离披此梧楸。
The dew chilly, the grass shivering, the plane trees
And the catalpas, their leaves falling, scream and moan.
去白日之昭昭兮，袭长夜之悠悠。
The lovely bright daytime shrinks and dwindles away;
The long dreary night, however, on and on wears.
离芳蔼之方壮兮，余萎约而悲愁。
Bidding farewell to the prime of my life I come
To a phase mark'd with poverty, sickness and cares!