Chinese Poetry - Part II

[skylee]

I have been reading poems from periods before and after Tang.

I am less familar with the pre-Tang ancient ones (except those in my high school syllabus) and find them quite interesting. So far I particularly like these four -

大風歌 (劉邦)

大風起兮雲飛揚。

威加海內兮歸故鄉。

安得猛士兮守四方。

垓下歌 (項羽)

力拔山兮氣蓋世。

時不利兮騅不逝。

騅不逝兮可奈何？

虞兮虞兮奈若何。

My book has these two poems on the same page, which seems to remind the reader that Liu won and Xiang lost.

The other two are from the lovely collection of 古詩十九首 -

涉江採芙蓉，蘭澤多芳草。

採之欲遺誰，所思在遠道。

還顧望舊鄉，長路漫浩浩。

同心而離居，憂傷以終老。

(I cross the river and pluck lotus flowers,

By the boneset marsh grow many fragrant grasses.

I pluck, but to whom can I sent them?

My beloved is far away in a distant place.

I turn and look afar towards my native land,

The long road extends far, far away.

We are of one heart, yet we live separated,

The grief will torture us throughout our lives.)

行行重行行，與君生別離。

相去萬餘里，各在天一涯。

道路阻且長，會面安可知。

胡馬依北風，越鳥巢南枝。

相去日已遠，衣帶日已緩。

浮雲蔽白日，遊子不顧返。

思君令人老，歲月忽已晚。

棄捐勿復道，努力加餐飯。

(Going on and on, on and on again,

You and I are separated far apart;

Being more than ten thousand li away,

Each at the other end of the world.

The road between us is so arduous and long,

When will we be able to meet again?

Tartar horses are fond of the northern wind,

Migrant birds nest on southern branches.

Longer and longer we have been parted,

My girdle is growing looser day by day.

Floating clouds shut out the white sun,

A wanderer, you can't think of returning.

The yearning for you makes me look older,

The year is drawing fast to an end again.

Just forget it, talking no more of myself,

I hope you take good care and stay well.)

We still use those phrases in blue nowadays to describe how people miss their loved ones.

[skylee]

And then there is the great poet/warrior/general 辛棄疾 of Song Dynasty. These two of his works are very famous -

醜奴兒 - 書博山道中壁

少年不識愁滋味，愛上層樓，愛上層樓，為賦新詞強說愁。

而今識盡愁滋味，欲說還休，欲說還休，卻道天涼好個秋！

青玉案 - 元夕

東風夜放花千樹，更吹落、星如雨。

寶馬雕車香滿路，鳳簫聲動，玉壺光轉，一夜魚龍舞。

蛾兒雪柳黃金縷，笑語盈盈暗香去。

眾裡尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。

But I also find this very enjoyable -

清平樂 - 村居

茅檐低小，溪上青青草。醉裡吳音相媚好，白髮誰家翁媼？

大兒鋤豆溪東，中兒正織雞籠。最喜小兒無賴，溪頭臥剝蓮蓬。

[shibo77]

Have you read «诗经»? Therein are poems collected from Zhou and pre Zhou periods. It is great!!

«?? - ???»

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

-??

-Shibo

[sm_sung]

«?? - ???»

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

????, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????.

-??

shibo, 是什么来的？？？

[shibo77]

怎么??化啦?

«燕燕 -- 国风邶»

燕燕于飞, 差池其羽, 之子于归, 远送于野, 瞻望弗及, 泣涕如雨.

燕燕于飞, 颉之顽之, 之子于归, 远于将之, 瞻望弗及, 伫立以泣.

燕燕于飞, 下上其音, 之子于归, 远送于南, 瞻望弗及, 实劳我心.

仲氏任只, 其心塞渊, 终温且惠, 淑慎其身, 先君之思, 以勖寡人.

- 庄姜

-Shibo

[39degN]

cao cao's 短歌行, my favorite.

【短歌行·曹操】

　　

对酒当歌，人生几何？

譬如朝露，去日苦多。

慨当以慷，忧思难忘。

何以解忧？唯有杜康。

青青子衿，悠悠我心。

但为君故，沈吟至今。

呦呦鹿鸣，食野之苹。

我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙。

明明如月，何时可掇？

忧从中来，不可断绝。

越陌度阡，枉用相存。

契阔谈宴，心念旧恩。

月明星稀，乌鹊南飞，

绕树三匝，何枝可依？

山不厌高，海不厌深。

周公吐哺，天下归心。

[39degN]

li bai's two peoms, didnt read the translation versions yet, hope they're not too bad.

【将进酒 ·李白】

君不见黄河之水天上来,

奔流到海不复回。

君不见高堂明镜悲白发,

朝如青丝暮成雪。

人生得意须尽欢，

莫使金樽空对月。

天生我材必有用，

千金散尽还复来。

烹羊宰牛且为乐，

会须一饮三百杯。

岑夫子，丹丘生，

将进酒，君莫停。

与君歌一曲，

请君为我侧耳听。

钟鼓馔玉不足贵，

但愿长醉不愿醒。

古来圣贤皆寂寞，

惟有饮者留其名。

陈王昔时宴平乐，

斗酒十千恣欢谑。

主人何为言少钱，

径须沽取对君酌。

五花马，千金裘，

呼儿将出换美酒，

与尔同销万古愁。

BRINGING IN THE WINE

Li Bai

See how the Yellow River's waters move out of heaven.

Entering the ocean, never to return.

See how lovely locks in bright mirrors in high chambers,

Though silken-black at morning, have changed by night to snow.

...Oh, let a man of spirit venture where he pleases

And never tip his golden cup empty toward the moon!

Since heaven gave the talent, let it be employed!

Spin a thousand pieces of silver, all of them come back!

Cook a sheep, kill a cow, whet the appetite,

And make me, of three hundred bowls, one long drink!

...To the old master, Cen,

And the young scholar, Danqiu,

Bring in the wine!

Let your cups never rest!

Let me sing you a song!

Let your ears attend!

What are bell and drum, rare dishes and treasure?

Let me be forever drunk and never come to reason!

Sober men of olden days and sages are forgotten,

And only the great drinkers are famous for all time.

...Prince Chen paid at a banquet in the Palace of Perfection

Ten thousand coins for a cask of wine, with many a laugh and quip.

Why say, my host, that your money is gone?

Go and buy wine and we'll drink it together!

My flower-dappled horse,

My furs worth a thousand,

Hand them to the boy to exchange for good wine,

And we'll drown away the woes of ten thousand generations!

【蜀道难·李白】

噫吁嚱， 危乎高哉！

蜀道之难难于上青天！

蚕丛及鱼凫， 开国何茫然。

尔来四万八千岁， 始与秦塞通人烟。

西当太白有鸟道， 可以横绝峨眉巅。

地崩山摧壮士死， 然后天梯石栈方钩连。

上有六龙回日之高标， 下有冲波逆折之回川。

黄鹤之飞尚不得， 猿猱欲度愁攀援。

青泥何盘盘， 百步九折萦岩峦，

扪参历井仰胁息， 以手抚膺坐长叹。

问君西游何时还？ 畏途巉岩不可攀。

但见悲鸟号古木， 雄飞雌从绕林间；

又闻子规啼， 夜月愁空山。

蜀道之难难于上青天！

使人听此凋朱颜。

连峰去天不盈尺， 枯松倒挂倚绝壁。

飞湍瀑流争喧豗， 砯崖转石万壑雷。

其险也如此！ 嗟尔远道之人，

胡为乎来哉？ 剑阁峥嵘而崔嵬，

一夫当关， 万夫莫开；

所守或匪亲， 化为狼与豺，

朝避猛虎， 夕避长蛇，

磨牙吮血， 杀人如麻。

锦城虽云乐， 不如早还家。

蜀道之难难于上青天， 侧身西望常咨嗟。

HARD ROADS IN SHU

Li Bai

Oh, but it is high and very dangerous!

Such travelling is harder than scaling the blue sky.

...Until two rulers of this region

Pushed their way through in the misty ages,

Forty-eight thousand years had passed

With nobody arriving across the Qin border.

And the Great White Mountain, westward, still has only a bird's path

Up to the summit of Emei Peak --

Which was broken once by an earthquake and there were brave men lost,

Just finishing the stone rungs of their ladder toward heaven.

...High, as on a tall flag, six dragons drive the sun,

While the river, far below, lashes its twisted course.

Such height would be hard going for even a yellow crane,

So pity the poor monkeys who have only paws to use.

The Mountain of Green Clay is formed of many circles-

Each hundred steps, we have to turn nine turns among its mound --

Panting, we brush Orion and pass the Well Star,

Then, holding our chests with our hands and sinking to the ground with a groan,

We wonder if this westward trail will never have an end.

The formidable path ahead grows darker, darker still,

With nothing heard but the call of birds hemmed in by the ancient forest,

Male birds smoothly wheeling, following the females;

And there come to us the melancholy voices of the cuckoos

Out on the empty mountain, under the lonely moon....

Such travelling is harder than scaling the blue sky.

Even to hear of it turns the cheek pale,

With the highest crag barely a foot below heaven.

Dry pines hang, head down, from the face of the cliffs,

And a thousand plunging cataracts outroar one another

And send through ten thousand valleys a thunder of spinning stones.

With all this danger upon danger,

Why do people come here who live at a safe distance?

...Though Dagger-Tower Pass be firm and grim,

And while one man guards it

Ten thousand cannot force it,

What if he be not loyal,

But a wolf toward his fellows?

...There are ravenous tigers to fear in the day

And venomous reptiles in the night

With their teeth and their fangs ready

To cut people down like hemp.

Though the City of Silk be delectable, I would rather turn home quickly.

Such travelling is harder than scaling the blue sky....

But I still face westward with a dreary moan.

[Lu]

Does anyone here like more modern Chinese poetry? Han Dong, Yin Lichuan, Che Qianzi, etc.

[skylee]

Next Tuesday (22 June 2004) is the Duanwu Festival (端午節/Dragon Boat Festival/Tuen Ng Festival). Many of the poems about this festival focus on Qu Yuan (屈原) and his death. I like this one which talks about the customs. (陸游 was a famous poet of Song Dynasty.)

乙卯重五 (陸游)

重五山村好，榴花忽已繁。

粽包分兩髻，艾束著危冠。

舊俗方儲藥，羸軀亦點丹。

日斜吾事畢，一笑向杯盤。

This Tang poem vividly describes a dragon boat race (races are still held today) -

競渡歌 (張建封)

五月五日天晴明，楊花繞江啼曉鶯。

使君未出郡齋外，江上早聞齊和聲。

使君出時皆有準，馬前已被紅旗引。

兩岸羅衣破暈香，銀釵照日如霜刃。

鼓聲三下紅旗開，兩龍躍出浮水來。

棹影斡波飛萬劍，鼓聲劈浪鳴千雷。

鼓聲漸急標將近，兩龍望標目如瞬。

坡上人呼霹靂驚，竿頭彩掛虹霓暈。

前船搶水已得標，後船失勢空揮橈。

瘡眉血首爭不定，輸岸一朋心似燒。

只將輸贏分罰賞，兩岸十舟五來往。

須臾戲罷各東西，競脫文身請書上。

吾今細觀競渡兒，何殊當路權相持。

不思得岸各休去，會到摧車折檝時。

[mermaid_sea5]

忆菊园某夜

花开花谢花满天，春来春往春沾帘，

浓芳淡绿各娇艳，名花贱草皆应怜。

浅寐初醒一梦清，慵眉懒眼笑春眠。

轻红犹拖几脉香，软雨聊衬尽日闲

闲听新燕试新啼，执卷行吟轻叩篱，

罗裳轻袂翦翦风，冰土玉栏点点菊。

侍花弄草醉芳侧，独唱独酬还独乐，

忽有飘忽应和声，竟是菊园旧时客。

客至殷勤烹香茗，举棋歌赋燃小灯，

促膝倾谈伤旧魂，痴人怨语叹红尘。

素帕揩去眸中泪，暖语抚平心头痕，

天道人心终难测，辗转坎坷应自珍。

星落客辞夜更深，棋乱墨凝茶已冷，

东方未白灯初灭，孤枕寒衾被未温。

古来至音不合众，丹山孤凤独栖桐，

浊世不怜高洁心，谁堪与我共浮沉？

[skylee]

I am reading some of 韋莊's lyrics (詞) and find them strikingly simple and beautiful. Here are two (on the same story) which I like a lot -

女冠子

四月十七，正是去年今日。別君時。

忍淚佯低面，含羞半斂眉。

不知魂已斷，空有夢相隨。

除去天邊月，無人知。

女冠子

昨夜夜半，枕上分明夢見。語多時。

依舊桃花面，頻低柳葉眉。

半羞還半喜，欲去又依依。

覺來知是夢，不勝悲。

I especially like the second one - 分明夢見 ... 覺來知是夢, 不勝悲 ...

And this one is so lively and direct -

思帝鄉

春日遊，杏花吹滿頭。

陌上誰家年少，足風流。

妾擬將身嫁與，一生休；

縱被無情棄，不能羞。

[skylee]

I am trying to read some 詩經, which turns out to be quite difficult (poems from Han Dynasty onwards are much easier to read). There are many rare words, and even if I know the words, they are often used in ancient ways, pronounced differently, or have no meanings. Sigh.

I find this one touching because of the explanation, not the poem itself. I think it suits one of my friends very much, and am thinking about calling her "小星" -

小星

嘒彼小星，三五在東，肅肅宵征，夙夜在公，寔命不同！

嘒彼小星，維參與昴，肅肅宵征，抱衾與稠，寔命不猶！

(Explanation - 一個小官吏被繁忙的公務弄得疲於奔命，對自己不幸的命運嗟嘆不已。)

(Translation -

那小小的星星閃著微光，三顆五顆在東方。急急忙忙趕夜路，為公事早晚奔忙，這條命就是和人不一樣！

那閃著微光的小星星，就是參星和昴星。急急忙忙趕夜路，抱著被子和蚊帳，這條命實在不如人！)

[bhchao]

Skylee, have you read this poem before? It is a quite poignant poem about the tragic heroine who sacrificed her happiness for the sake of the Han empire.

"When Mingfei left the palace of Han,

Face damp with tears, hair hanging loose,

Turning her lowered head she gazed back, expressionless.

And her sovereign could not restrain his anguish.

Blame lay in an artist's hand,

Few had he seen so pleasing to the eye.

Yet the source of such beauty was not painted;

Mao Yanshou was killed at once.

Departing, she knew, never to return,

Pitiable in the costume of the Han court.

Her plaintive voice asking for news of the south.

Where only the swan geese flew and returned each year.

Messages sent by her family, ten thousand li,

So that she in the foreign land will not pine.

Close by, Chang'an gate has locked out the beauty,

Life's aspirations thwarted by neither north nor south."

[skylee]

No, I didn't know that poem. But I have found it, which is about 王昭君, and was written by 王安石 -

明妃曲

明妃初出漢宮時，淚濕春風鬢腳垂。

低徊顧影無顏色，尚得君王不自持。

歸來卻怪丹青手，入眼平生未曾有。

意態由來畫不成，當時枉殺毛延壽。

一去心知更不歸，可憐著盡漢宮衣。

寄聲欲問塞南事，只有年年鴻雁飛。

家人萬里傳消息， 好在氈城莫相憶。

君不見咫尺長門閉阿嬌，人生失意無南北。

明妃初嫁與胡兒，氈車百輛皆胡姬。

含情欲說獨無處，傳與琵琶心自知。

黃金捍撥春風手，彈看飛鴻勸胡酒。

漢宮侍女暗垂淚，沙上行人卻回首。

漢恩自淺胡自深，人生樂在相知心。

可憐青塚已蕪沒，尚有哀弦留至今。

And here is the story -

昭君，名王嬙，興山縣人，晉代避司馬昭之諱，改稱明妃。漢元帝時，王嬙才貌出眾，選為宮女。傳說皇帝選美，先看畫像，因宮女爭寵，紛紛賄賂畫師，昭君生性耿直，不趨炎附勢，被畫師毛延壽醜化，不得寵。漢元帝競寧元年（公元前33年），北方匈奴呼韓邪單于請求和親，願與漢永結友好。昭君自請「求行」，出寨前，皇帝才發現其容貌光彩照人，意欲留下，但成令已出，為結束邊疆戰爭，決定許嫁，並將年號改為競寧以資紀念。兩年後，呼韓邪單于去世，昭君依匈奴風俗改嫁新單于（呼韓邪與前妃水閼氏之子）。