古有皇英之二女，
乃在洞庭之南，
From the two princesses of ancient day①, Where the two rivers meet awake,
瀟湘之浦。
海水直下萬里深，
And flow for miles and miles into the sea. From the sorrow of separation who is free?
誰人不言此離苦？
日慘慘兮雲冥冥，
The sun is gloomy, veiled by dark cloud; In mist and rain the monkeys wail and ghosts cry loud.
猩猩啼煙兮鬼嘯雨。
我縱言之將何補？
Of what avail is all that I say? The Royal Dome knows not my loyalty;
皇穹窈恐不照余之忠誠，
雷憑憑兮欲吼怒，
Its thunder roars against me. Even emperors to successors should give way.
堯舜當之亦禪禹。
君失臣兮龍為魚，
When the king's not supported, the dragon turns into fish; The rats in power become tigers as they wish.
權歸臣兮鼠亦虎。
或云堯幽囚，
舜野死，
Alike the Nine Mysterious Peaks loom. The princesses wept among the cloud green;
九疑連綿皆相似。
重瞳孤坟竟何是？
They're gone with the wind and waves, unseen. They gazed from afar and shed tears;
帝子泣兮綠雲間，
隨風波兮去無還。
Now only the deep green mountain appears. Only when mountains crumble and rivers go dry
慟哭兮遠望，
見蒼梧之深山。
蒼梧既崩湘水絕，
竹上之淚乃可滅。
Would the tear-specked bamboos vanish from the eye. tears specked the bamboos.