定知玉兔十分圆,
已作霜风九月寒。
寄语重门休上钥,
夜潮留向月中看。
万人鼓噪慑吴侬,
犹是浮江老阿童。
欲识潮头高几许,
越山浑在浪花中。
江边身世两悠悠,
久与沧波共白头。
造物亦知人易老,
故教江水向西流。
The moon with jade-rabbit must be full to behold,
As in ninth month, the wind is blowing frosty cold.
Tell the Moon Goddess not to lock her door tonight,
‘Tis best to watch the tidal bore in the moonlight.
The Southerners are scared at ten thousand men's roar
As if downstream came conquerors' warships and
glaives. If you want to know how high is the tidal bore,
See the Southern hills mingle with white-crested waves.
As water's flowing east, life is passing away,
Long since man has white hair and waves have their white
crest. The Creator fears lest our hair should too soon turn gray,
He orders the river to flow back to the west.
吴儿生长狎 ① 涛渊,
冒利轻生不自怜。
东海若知明主意,
应教斥卤 ② 变桑田。
江神河伯两醯鸡 ③ ,
海若 ④ 东来气吐霓。
安得夫差水犀手,
三千强弩射潮低!
①狎(xiá):玩弄。②斥卤:海边盐咸地。③醯(xī)鸡:小虫名。④海若:海神。
The Southerners from birth are fond of playing with waves,
They make light of their lives for profits and for gains.
If the East Sea knew what our sage sovereign craves,
The salt water would change into ricefields and plains.
The two Gods of the River vie to raise the tide,
From the westward-rolling billows rainbows will spout.
Where could we find three thousand Wu archers to chide
The billows with arrows so that the tide flow out?
第一首写苏轼去看钱塘江潮的打算,第二首描绘所看到的潮水的威势,第三首抒写看潮后兴起的感慨,第四首以地方官的身份抒发因看潮而生的议论,第五首再次抒发观潮所得的感想。全诗淋漓恣肆,不落常轨,体现出苏诗英爽豪迈的风格。