紅燭
Red Candle
Wen Yiduo 聞一多 (1899–1946)
Republican era and after · 1923

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-003026 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/003026
Rights: First published in 1923; the author died in 1946. Public domain by age: the author died before 1956 and the text was published before 1931. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SSID-10148430_紅燭.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/wen-yiduo-red-candle

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『蠟炬成灰淚始乾』——李商隱

紅燭啊！
這樣紅的燭！
詩人啊！
吐出你的心來比比，
可是一般顏色？

紅燭啊！
是誰製的蠟——給你軀體？
是誰點的火——點着靈魂？
爲何更須燒蠟成灰，
然後才放光出？
一誤再誤；
矛盾！衝突！

紅燭啊！
不誤，不誤！
原是要『燒』出你的光來——
這正是自然底方法。

紅燭啊！
既製了，便燒着！
燒罷！燒罷！
燒破世人底夢，
燒沸世人底血——
也救出他們的靈魂
也搗破他們的監獄！

紅燭啊！
你心火發光之期，
正是淚流開始之日，

紅燭啊！
匠人造了你，
原是爲燒的。
既已燒着，
又何苦傷心流淚？
哦！我知道了！
是殘風來侵你的光芒，
你燒得不穩時，
才着急得流淚！

紅燭啊！
流罷！你怎能不流呢？
請將你的脂膏，
不息地流向人間，
培出慰藉底花兒，
結成快樂底果子！

紅燭啊！
你流一滴淚，灰一分心。
灰心流淚你的果，
創造光明你的因。

紅燭啊！
『莫問收穫，但問耕耘，』

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『蜡炬成灰泪始干』——李商隐

红烛啊！
这样红的烛！
诗人啊！
吐出你的心来比比，
可是一般颜色？

红烛啊！
是谁制的蜡——给你躯体？
是谁点的火——点着灵魂？
为何更须烧蜡成灰，
然后才放光出？
一误再误；
矛盾！冲突！

红烛啊！
不误，不误！
原是要『烧』出你的光来——
这正是自然底方法。

红烛啊！
既制了，便烧着！
烧罢！烧罢！
烧破世人底梦，
烧沸世人底血——
也救出他们的灵魂
也捣破他们的监狱！

红烛啊！
你心火发光之期，
正是泪流开始之日，

红烛啊！
匠人造了你，
原是为烧的。
既已烧着，
又何苦伤心流泪？
哦！我知道了！
是残风来侵你的光芒，
你烧得不稳时，
才着急得流泪！

红烛啊！
流罢！你怎能不流呢？
请将你的脂膏，
不息地流向人间，
培出慰藉底花儿，
结成快乐底果子！

红烛啊！
你流一滴泪，灰一分心。
灰心流泪你的果，
创造光明你的因。

红烛啊！
『莫问收获，但问耕耘，』

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English translation by Claude (an AI)

"Only when the candle turns to ash are its tears dry." — Li Shangyin

Red candle!
So red a candle!
Poet!
Bring out your heart and compare them:
are they the same colour?

Red candle!
Who made the wax to give you a body?
Who lit the flame to kindle your soul?
Why must the wax burn down to ash
before you can give out light?
Error upon error;
contradiction, conflict!

Red candle!
No error, no error!
it is by "burning" that your light must come:
this is the way of nature.

Red candle!
Since you are made, then burn!
Burn on, burn on!
Burn through the dreams of the world,
set the blood of the world boiling,
save their souls,
and break open their prisons!

Red candle!
The hour your heart's fire gives out light
is the day your tears begin to flow.

Red candle!
The craftsman who made you
made you to burn.
Now that you are burning,
why grieve and weep?
Oh, now I know!
It is the stray wind that comes to harry your light;
when your flame burns unsteadily,
you weep in your distress.

Red candle!
Flow on! How can you help but flow?
Let your tallow
run without rest into the world,
to grow flowers of comfort
and bear the fruit of joy.

Red candle!
For every tear you shed, your heart turns a little more to ash.
A heart of ash and tears: that is your fruit;
creating light: that is your seed.

Red candle!
"Ask not of the harvest; ask only of the tilling."