The Tiger translated by Xu Zhimo

Tyger used tiger in classical English, just like China's interchangeable words. Here, we choose modern translation:

tiger

Tiger! Tiger! Bright combustion

In the forest at night,

Tiger! Tiger! In the dark of the jungle, the foliage gives birth to light.

What immortal hands or eyes?

What immortal hands and eyes are needed,

Can shape your terrible symmetry.

To create such terrible symmetry.

How far in the depth or sky?

How far is the sky from the abyss

Burning the flame in their eyes?

Light the fire in their eyes.

Why does he dare to yearn for it?

What kind of wings does it yearn for?

What kind of hand dares to catch fire?

What kind of claws dare to catch fire?

What shoulders, what art

What is a shoulder? What is art?

Will distort the muscles of your heart?

It will distort your heart muscle.

When your heart starts to beat,

When your heart starts to beat.

What hand of terror? What terrible feet?

What makes you afraid to move?

What hammer? What chain?

What hammer is it? What kind of chain?

What furnace is your brain in?

In what kind of furnace did you create such a brain?

What anvil? What a terrible grip

What kind of anvil is it? What kind of guarantee is this?

Dare to catch its deadly terror?

Create such a terrible crisis?

When the stars cast their spears,

When the stars put down their spears

Watering heaven with their tears,

Drown heaven with their tears.

Did he read his work with a smile?

Will he smile at his work?

Did the God who made the lamb make you?

Did Jesus create you?

Tiger! Tiger! Bright combustion

In the forest at night,

Tiger! Tiger! In the dark of the jungle, the foliage gives birth to light.

What immortal hands or eyes,

Immortal hands and eyes,

Dare to frame your terrible symmetry?

Dare to create such terrible symmetry.

I translated it myself, which may be different from the mainstream version. Another poem was written by william blake and translated by Xu only once.