Zhao Hun is a poem by Qu Yuan, and collected in the Chu Ci . The title is translated as Summons of the Soul, or Summoning of the Soul.
In Chinese tradition, the Dragon Boat Races originated in the 3rd century B.C., following the death of the poet/philosopher Ch'ü Yuan. In this poem, food becomes a worldly joy, and this excerpt from The Great Summons describes a feast which can almost be appreciated today. Ch'ü Yuan was on the verge of suicide for political reasons, and wrote The Great Summons to persuade himself to cling to life.
O Soul come back to joys beyond all telling!
Where thirty cubits high at harvest time
The corn is stacked;
Where pies are cooked of millet and bearded maize.
Guests watch the steaming bowls
And sniff the pungency of peppered herbs.
The cunning cook adds slices of bird-flesh,
Pigeon and yellow heron and black crane.
They taste the badget-stew.
O Soul come back to feed on foods you love!
Next are brought
Fresh turtle, and sweet chicken cooked with cheese
Pressed by the men of Ch'ü.
And flesh of whelps floating in liver sauce
With salad of minced radishes in brine;
All served with that hot spice of southernwood
The land of Wu supplies.
O Soul come back to choose the meats you love!
Roasted daw, steamed widgeon and grilled quail--
On every fowl they fare.
Boiled perch and sparrow broth-- in each preserved
The separate flavor that is most its own.
O Soul come back to where such dainties wait!
Later, Ch'u did drown himself. His friends set out in many boats to find his body, and scattered rice into the water to feed the fish. The Chinese Dragon Boat Races, held in June in Hong Kong and many other cities with large Chinese populations, commemorate this event. The Chinese prepare a dish composed of meat or bean paste and rice, wrapped in bamboo leaves, tied with string and steamed, in lieu of food given to fishes so they would not dine on poet Ch'u Yuan.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Yellow Crane Tower
Yellow Crane Tower is a famous and historic tower, often rebuilt, that stands on Sheshan , at the bank of Yangtze River in the Wuchang District, of the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of . Tourists can obtain a fine view of the Yangtze River from the top of the tower. Yellow Crane Tower is considered one of the Four Great Towers of China. In its modern version it has the appearance of an ancient tower but is built of modern materials and includes an elevator. Displays are presented at each level. To the east on the hill, a large temple bell may be struck by tourists for a small fee. During the week-long celebration of China's National Day , ethnic and court dances are demonstrated in the western yard.
Legend states that a scholar was standing in the tower, when he saw a crane flying past. He asked to hitch a ride on the crane, which took him to the Celestial Palace, and he was never to be seen again.
It was made famous by a poem written by .
黄鹤楼
昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼。
黄鹤一去不复返，白云千载空悠悠。
晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。
日暮乡关何处是? 烟波江上使人愁。
There is another famous poem about it by Li Bai.
黄鹤楼送盂浩然之广陵
故人西辞黄鹤楼，
烟花三月下扬州。
孤帆远影碧空尽，
唯见长江天际流
which roughly translates to:
My old friend's said goodbye to the west, here at Yellow Crane Tower,
In the third month's cloud of willow blossoms, he's going down to Yangzhou.
The lonely sail is a distant shadow, on the edge of a blue emptiness,
All I see is the Yangtze River flow to the far horizon.
Yellow Crane Tower is also a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1927.
Legend states that a scholar was standing in the tower, when he saw a crane flying past. He asked to hitch a ride on the crane, which took him to the Celestial Palace, and he was never to be seen again.
It was made famous by a poem written by .
黄鹤楼
昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼。
黄鹤一去不复返，白云千载空悠悠。
晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。
日暮乡关何处是? 烟波江上使人愁。
There is another famous poem about it by Li Bai.
黄鹤楼送盂浩然之广陵
故人西辞黄鹤楼，
烟花三月下扬州。
孤帆远影碧空尽，
唯见长江天际流
which roughly translates to:
My old friend's said goodbye to the west, here at Yellow Crane Tower,
In the third month's cloud of willow blossoms, he's going down to Yangzhou.
The lonely sail is a distant shadow, on the edge of a blue emptiness,
All I see is the Yangtze River flow to the far horizon.
Yellow Crane Tower is also a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1927.
The Quatrain of Seven Steps
The Seven Steps Verse, also known as the Quatrain of Seven Steps , is a highly poem of Classical Chinese literature that is usually attributed to the dynastical work Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The famed scene describes Cao Pi's suspicions of his brother Cao Zhi trying to usurp his rule . Consequently, Cao Zhi is summoned to the court and is issued an ultimatum in which he must produce a poem within seven strides such that Cao Pi is convinced of his innocence. Cao Zhi does so, and Cao Pi becomes so flustered with emotion that he spares his brother, although he later exacts punishment upon Cao Zhi in the form of demotion. The poem itself is written in the traditional ''five-character quatrain'' style and is an extended metaphor that describes the relationship of two brothers and the ill-conceived notion of one harming the other over petty squabbling.
There exists two versions of the poem, one being six lines in length and the other four. The former is generally thought to be original; however, the "燃" character that is used in the former generates confusion over its authenticity. Additionally, the purported original verse includes two extra lines, which serves the purpose of parallelism but does not add any additional meaning already conveyed .
煮豆持作羹，Zhu3 Dou4 Chi2 Zuo4 Geng1,
漉鼓以为汁。Lu4 Chi3 Yi3 Wei2 Zhi1.
萁在釜下燃，Qi2 Zai4 Fu3 Xia4 Ran2,
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4.
本是同根生，Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1,
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2?
''Boiling the beans to create the soup,''
''filtering them to extract the juice.''
''The beanstalks were charred amidst the flames,''
''and of this the beans thus wailed:''
''"Borne are we of the same root;''
''should you now burn me with such disregard?"''
煮豆燃豆萁，Zhu3 Dou4 Ran2 Dou4 Qi2,
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4.
本是同根生，Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1,
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2?
The translation for this version is more or less the same, with the notable exception of the condensing of the first three lines into one: ''Boiling the beans while charring the stalks...''
Note: Cao Zhi uses several characters to describe the various processes of cooking and refining beans. Among those mentioned are: 煮 , 漉 , 燃 , 泣 , and 煎 .
There exists two versions of the poem, one being six lines in length and the other four. The former is generally thought to be original; however, the "燃" character that is used in the former generates confusion over its authenticity. Additionally, the purported original verse includes two extra lines, which serves the purpose of parallelism but does not add any additional meaning already conveyed .
Version 1
煮豆持作羹，Zhu3 Dou4 Chi2 Zuo4 Geng1,
漉鼓以为汁。Lu4 Chi3 Yi3 Wei2 Zhi1.
萁在釜下燃，Qi2 Zai4 Fu3 Xia4 Ran2,
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4.
本是同根生，Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1,
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2?
''Boiling the beans to create the soup,''
''filtering them to extract the juice.''
''The beanstalks were charred amidst the flames,''
''and of this the beans thus wailed:''
''"Borne are we of the same root;''
''should you now burn me with such disregard?"''
Version 2
煮豆燃豆萁，Zhu3 Dou4 Ran2 Dou4 Qi2,
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4.
本是同根生，Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1,
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2?
The translation for this version is more or less the same, with the notable exception of the condensing of the first three lines into one: ''Boiling the beans while charring the stalks...''
Note: Cao Zhi uses several characters to describe the various processes of cooking and refining beans. Among those mentioned are: 煮 , 漉 , 燃 , 泣 , and 煎 .
The Epic of Wo Bau-Sae
The Epic of Wo Bau-Sae is a ring of Wu Chinese long narrative verses found around the Tai Lake region in Southeastern China. The backdrop of the story is set in the Ming Dynasty, when the hero Wo Bau-Sae participated in a rebellion against Ming rule.
The Double Ninth
"The Double Nine" is a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1929. Double Ninth Festival, also call Chong Yang, is an important holiday in China. During this holiday, Chinese people usually go to the top of mountains, looking far away, as a ritual of expecting those family members who are travelling outside to come back home sooner.
Man ages all too easily, not Nature;
Year by year the Double Ninth returns.
On this Double Ninth,
The yellow blooms on the battle field smell sweeter.
Each year the autumn wind blow fierce,
Unlike string's splendour,
Yet surpassing spring's splendour,
See the endless expanse of frosty sky and water.
Man ages all too easily, not Nature;
Year by year the Double Ninth returns.
On this Double Ninth,
The yellow blooms on the battle field smell sweeter.
Each year the autumn wind blow fierce,
Unlike string's splendour,
Yet surpassing spring's splendour,
See the endless expanse of frosty sky and water.
Story of Darkness
The Story of Darkness is a Chinese folk epic poem dating back to the Tang Dynasty of China. It was translated and published by Hu Chongjun after the discovery of a manuscript in 1982. The epic is composed of numerous Chinese myths relating to the creation of the world.
The origin of ''Darkness'' dates back to the Tang Dynasty . At least eight manuscrpts have survived today, most of which come from Shennongjia in Hubei Province. The tales told in the story have survived in the folk songs of the region.
Many scholars believe ''Darkness'' comes from the origin myths of Ancient China. This Chinese Genesis is composed of approximately 5500 lines, each consisting of 7 Chinese characters. Like the Homeric epics, the written poem was likely preceded by an oral tradition dating back to at least the Tang Dynasty. Wooden copies of ''Darkness'' are said to have survived to the Ming Dynasty but none have been found today.
The epic is composed of origin myths. The topics discussed include the creation of the universe, the world, and humans.
Origin
The origin of ''Darkness'' dates back to the Tang Dynasty . At least eight manuscrpts have survived today, most of which come from Shennongjia in Hubei Province. The tales told in the story have survived in the folk songs of the region.
Many scholars believe ''Darkness'' comes from the origin myths of Ancient China. This Chinese Genesis is composed of approximately 5500 lines, each consisting of 7 Chinese characters. Like the Homeric epics, the written poem was likely preceded by an oral tradition dating back to at least the Tang Dynasty. Wooden copies of ''Darkness'' are said to have survived to the Ming Dynasty but none have been found today.
Summary
The epic is composed of origin myths. The topics discussed include the creation of the universe, the world, and humans.
Shui diao ge tou
Shui diao ge tou is the name of a tune which is used to rhyme this famous poem, 水調歌頭·丙辰中秋, by the Song dynasty poet Su Shi, commonly known as Su Dongpo.
水調歌頭1
丙辰2中秋3，
歡飲達旦，
大醉，
作此篇，
兼懷子由4。
明月幾時有？
把酒問青天。
不知天上宮闕5，
今夕是何年？
我欲乘風歸去，
唯恐瓊樓玉宇6，
高處不勝寒。
起舞弄清影7，
何似在人間8！
轉朱閣9，
低綺戶10，
照無眠11。
不應有恨，
何事長向別時圓？
人有悲歡離合，
月有陰晴圓缺，
此事古難全。
但願人長久，
千里共嬋娟12。
Bright moon, when did you appear?
Lifting my wine, I question the dark night sky.
Tonight in the palaces and halls of heaven
what year is it, I wonder?
I would like to ride the wind, make my home there,
Only I hide in a jade room of a beautiful mansion,
As I could not bear the cold of high altitudes.
So I rise and dance and play in your pure beams,
this human world — how can it compare with yours?
Circling red chambers,
low in the curtained door,
you shine on the sleepless.
Surely you bear us no ill will —
why then must you be so round at times when we humans are parted!
People have their grieves and joys, their togetherness and separation,
The moon has its dark and clear times, its waxings and wanings.
Situations are never ideal since long ago.
I only hope we two may have long long lives,
So that we may share the moon's beauty even though we are a thousand miles apart.
{| class="wikitable"
! || width="8%" | Characters || width="15%" | Pinyin || Explanation
|-
| 1. || 水�br />
In 1983, Liang Hong Zhi composed this poem into an officially produced song entitled "Wishing We Last Forever" by Teresa Teng in one of her albums ''Light Exquisite Feeling'' , filled with other poems from dynasties of and . In later years, singers like Faye Wong, Jacky Cheung and China Flowers covered this song in albums and concerts.
Text of the Poem
水調歌頭1
丙辰2中秋3，
歡飲達旦，
大醉，
作此篇，
兼懷子由4。
明月幾時有？
把酒問青天。
不知天上宮闕5，
今夕是何年？
我欲乘風歸去，
唯恐瓊樓玉宇6，
高處不勝寒。
起舞弄清影7，
何似在人間8！
轉朱閣9，
低綺戶10，
照無眠11。
不應有恨，
何事長向別時圓？
人有悲歡離合，
月有陰晴圓缺，
此事古難全。
但願人長久，
千里共嬋娟12。
English translation
Bright moon, when did you appear?
Lifting my wine, I question the dark night sky.
Tonight in the palaces and halls of heaven
what year is it, I wonder?
I would like to ride the wind, make my home there,
Only I hide in a jade room of a beautiful mansion,
As I could not bear the cold of high altitudes.
So I rise and dance and play in your pure beams,
this human world — how can it compare with yours?
Circling red chambers,
low in the curtained door,
you shine on the sleepless.
Surely you bear us no ill will —
why then must you be so round at times when we humans are parted!
People have their grieves and joys, their togetherness and separation,
The moon has its dark and clear times, its waxings and wanings.
Situations are never ideal since long ago.
I only hope we two may have long long lives,
So that we may share the moon's beauty even though we are a thousand miles apart.
Notes on the Poem
{| class="wikitable"
! || width="8%" | Characters || width="15%" | Pinyin || Explanation
|-
| 1. || 水�br />
Tunes of the poem
In 1983, Liang Hong Zhi composed this poem into an officially produced song entitled "Wishing We Last Forever" by Teresa Teng in one of her albums ''Light Exquisite Feeling'' , filled with other poems from dynasties of and . In later years, singers like Faye Wong, Jacky Cheung and China Flowers covered this song in albums and concerts.
Sandokai
The Sandokai or 'Harmonious Song of Difference and Sameness' is a poem by the eighth Chinese Zen ancestor Shitou Xiqian and a fundamental text of the Soto school of Zen, chanted daily in temples throughout the world.
The poem is about the interplay of darkness and light. The ultimate truth depends on both, and one cannot understand the nature of reality fully without acknowledging both aspects. On the other hand, the poem states "The spiritual source shines clear in the light;
the branching streams flow on in the dark" and "Refined and common speech come together in the dark, clear and murky phrases are distinguished in the light". So the light has a specific quality in this poem, which probably means insight in reality or the self is gained because of the light element.
Toward the end of his life Shunryu Suzuki Roshi gave a series of lectures on the Sandokai.
The text
The poem is about the interplay of darkness and light. The ultimate truth depends on both, and one cannot understand the nature of reality fully without acknowledging both aspects. On the other hand, the poem states "The spiritual source shines clear in the light;
the branching streams flow on in the dark" and "Refined and common speech come together in the dark, clear and murky phrases are distinguished in the light". So the light has a specific quality in this poem, which probably means insight in reality or the self is gained because of the light element.
Toward the end of his life Shunryu Suzuki Roshi gave a series of lectures on the Sandokai.
Reply to Li Shuyi
Reply to Li Shuyi is a poem written in 1957 by Mao Zedong to a female friend, Li Shuyi. In the translation, "poplar" actually means his first wife: Yang Kaihui, and "Willow" actually means Li's late husband: Liu Zhixun. Both Yang and Liu were s killed by the Kuomintang, Yang Kaihui in 1930 and Liu Zhixun in 1932. In the poem Wu Gang is a man who, according to Chinese legend, lives on the moon, and was forced by the gods to fell a laurel tree forever.
蝶 恋 花
答 李 淑 一
一九五七年五月十一日
我失骄杨君失柳,
杨柳轻扬直上重霄九。
问讯吴刚何所有，
吴刚捧出桂花酒。
寂寞嫦娥舒广袖，
万里长空且为忠魂舞。
忽报人间曾伏虎，
泪飞顿作倾盆雨。
I lost my proud Poplar and you your Willow,
Poplar and Willow soar to the Ninth Heaven.
Wu Gang, asked what he can give,
Serves them a laurel wine.
The lonely moon goddess spreads her ample sleeves
To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space.
Earth suddenly reports the tiger subdued,
Tears of joy pour forth falling as mighty rain.
蝶 恋 花
答 李 淑 一
一九五七年五月十一日
我失骄杨君失柳,
杨柳轻扬直上重霄九。
问讯吴刚何所有，
吴刚捧出桂花酒。
寂寞嫦娥舒广袖，
万里长空且为忠魂舞。
忽报人间曾伏虎，
泪飞顿作倾盆雨。
I lost my proud Poplar and you your Willow,
Poplar and Willow soar to the Ninth Heaven.
Wu Gang, asked what he can give,
Serves them a laurel wine.
The lonely moon goddess spreads her ample sleeves
To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space.
Earth suddenly reports the tiger subdued,
Tears of joy pour forth falling as mighty rain.
Loushan Pass
Loushan Pass is a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1935 during the Long March. Loushan Pass itself is a gorge among mountains in Guizhou province, China. Mao wrote this poem after the Red Army defeated the local government army after a fierce battle and occupation the pass.
Fierce the west wind,
Wild geese cry under the frosty morning moon.
Under the frosty morning moon
Horses' hooves clattering,
Bugles sobbing low.
Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron,
With firm strides we are crossing its summit.
We are crossing its summit,
The rolling hills sea-blue,
The dying sun blood-red.
Fierce the west wind,
Wild geese cry under the frosty morning moon.
Under the frosty morning moon
Horses' hooves clattering,
Bugles sobbing low.
Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron,
With firm strides we are crossing its summit.
We are crossing its summit,
The rolling hills sea-blue,
The dying sun blood-red.
Li Sao
Li Sao is a Chinese poem dating from the Warring States Period, written by Qu Yuan of the Kingdom of Chu. One of the most famous poems of pre- China, it is a representative work of the ''Chu Ci'' form of poetry.
The title is not a commonly used word in Chinese, and its meaning has been debated about even in historical times. Sima Qian interprets the title as "Woes of Departure" ie. Qu Yuan's exile, while Ban Gu interprets it as "Encountering Trouble". Sima Qian's interpretation is the more adopted one, though recent scholars also theorise that 離騷 is simply a different way of writing 劳商; the latter is a generic name for a Chu song. In English the title is often translated as either The Lament or Encountering Trouble.
The poem has a total of 372 lines and about 2400 characters, which makes it one of the longest poems dating from Ancient China. While the precise date of composition is unknown it is one of Qu Yuan's later works, written after his exile by King Huai of Chu.
As a representative work of Chu poetry it makes use of a wide range of metaphors derived from the culture of Chu, including shamanistic elements such as divination and the presence of spirits, as well as references in ancient history and legendary figures. Because of these influences the poem is seen as an initiator of a tradition of poetry in China.
The poem's main themes include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, and subsequent exile; his desire to remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court; and also his lamentation at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. At the very end he, resigned, states his resolve to die.
Title
The title is not a commonly used word in Chinese, and its meaning has been debated about even in historical times. Sima Qian interprets the title as "Woes of Departure" ie. Qu Yuan's exile, while Ban Gu interprets it as "Encountering Trouble". Sima Qian's interpretation is the more adopted one, though recent scholars also theorise that 離騷 is simply a different way of writing 劳商; the latter is a generic name for a Chu song. In English the title is often translated as either The Lament or Encountering Trouble.
Description
The poem has a total of 372 lines and about 2400 characters, which makes it one of the longest poems dating from Ancient China. While the precise date of composition is unknown it is one of Qu Yuan's later works, written after his exile by King Huai of Chu.
As a representative work of Chu poetry it makes use of a wide range of metaphors derived from the culture of Chu, including shamanistic elements such as divination and the presence of spirits, as well as references in ancient history and legendary figures. Because of these influences the poem is seen as an initiator of a tradition of poetry in China.
The poem's main themes include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, and subsequent exile; his desire to remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court; and also his lamentation at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. At the very end he, resigned, states his resolve to die.
Jiu Ge
''Jiu Ge'' is a set of short poems sometimes attributed to Qu Yuan and published in the Chu Ci . It is among the finest examples of poetry to have been created in ancient China.
Though it is called Jiu Ge, it actually includs eleven articles: Dong Huang Tai Yi , Yun Zhong Jun , Xiang Jun , Xiang Fu Ren , Da Si Ming , Shao Si Ming , Dong Jun , He Bo , Shan Gui , Guo Shang , Li Hun . Jiu Ge is the collection of the sacrificial songs polished by Qu Yuan, thus it features mythological content and elegant imaginations. Jiu Ge is different from Qu Yuan's other works. Except Guo Shang, all other articles for various gods are either with dialogue or in prose style to express the love between gods that are designed with human nature and human. That must be the result of the influence of the love songs in that times.
Though it is called Jiu Ge, it actually includs eleven articles: Dong Huang Tai Yi , Yun Zhong Jun , Xiang Jun , Xiang Fu Ren , Da Si Ming , Shao Si Ming , Dong Jun , He Bo , Shan Gui , Guo Shang , Li Hun . Jiu Ge is the collection of the sacrificial songs polished by Qu Yuan, thus it features mythological content and elegant imaginations. Jiu Ge is different from Qu Yuan's other works. Except Guo Shang, all other articles for various gods are either with dialogue or in prose style to express the love between gods that are designed with human nature and human. That must be the result of the influence of the love songs in that times.
国殇
操吴戈兮披犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接。
旌蔽日兮敌若云，矢交坠兮土争先。
凌余阵兮躐余行，左骖殪兮右刃伤。
霾两轮兮絷四马，援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。
天时懟兮威灵怒，严杀尽兮弃原野。
出不入兮往不反，平原忽兮路超远。
带长剑兮挟秦弓，首身离兮心不惩。
诚以勇兮又以武，终刚强兮不可凌。
身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄。
Translation in english:
1.King of the sky
1 Strike the Dark Strings
2 Strike Strike
3 the dark strings
4 And reed & zither answer
5 Spirit moves
6 in splendid gear
7 And is the body's splendid shaman
8 through which a god may sing
9 And indeed does sing
10 And strikes and strikes
11 that Darkest Bell
12 ah darkest bell---
13 my body struck
14 with love
2. Lord of Cloud
15 Flower-spirit, shaman-child
16 in blaze of brightness dancing
17 Endless as the earth
18 She dances round it
19 As sun
20 As mantic moon
21 in dragon-chariot of sun
22 O endless flight!
23 Part of me climbs to heaven
24 through the four seas & seasons
25 Longing for you
3.Lord of Sun
70 Lord Sun
71 wheels in flight
72 trailing his spirit-garment
73 High over the Nine Hills
74 he handles Yin & Yang
75 male & female
76 shade & sunshine
77 soul & body
78 a Yin for every Yang
79 And gallops into Light
80 I pluck the lovely hemp flower
81 Age creeps on apace
82 Soon all will be over
83 Soon all done all one
84 And fate is fixed in the heart
85 And not to draw nearer
86 is to drift forever
87 further apart
4. Lord of Xiang-river
50 I build a bride-room
51 underwater
52 roof thatched with lotus
53 courtyard paved with murex
54 At dark dusk I cross
55 to the Western bank
56 Here it was
57 she cast down
58 her thin dress
59 upon the shore
60 Over the white nut grass
61 my eyes wander
62 see only water swirl
63 in the flood rains
64 Someone says my loved one sent for me
65 I gallop my horses
66 over the lotus leaves
67 toward where a dragon waits
68 toward where an elk browses
69 On the Mountain of Nine Doubts
5. Mrs. Xiang
26 She-shaman princess
27 in a stone boat
28 in winged dragon-boat
29 awning of fig-vine
30 sweet flag paddles
31 magnolia rudder
32 Rides to that Island
33 to that Bright Island
34 abode of light
35 Swinging her mesmere lamp
36 her incense burner
37 on a gold chain
38 She drops her thumb-ring in the Sea
39 And turning
40 and turning
41 stretches her body burning
42 toward me
43
46 And flying dragons sweep her far away
47 from me
48 I gallop my horse in the morning
49 through the lowlands by the river
6. Master of Fate
102 A glow in the sky
103 and soon you'll arise
104 Night pales
105 Day shines forth
106 You ride on thunder wheels
107 cloud banners trailing
108 heave great sighs
109 look back yearning
110 for earth's beauty burning
111 look and linger
112 forget your way
113 I draw a long arrow
114 and shoot Heaven's Wolf
115 then draw me down the Dipper
116 And plunge alone into
117 the White Void
7. Young Master of Fate
88 Hall full of lovely ones
89 Yet you had eyes for me alone
90 Riding a whirlwind A cloud for a banner
91 Suddenly you came
92 And as suddenly departed
93 And only had eyes for me
94 I bathed with you
95 in the Pool of Heaven
96 In a sunny fold of the hill
97 I dried your hair
98 Now it is I who shout & sing with despair
99 Under a chariot-awning
100 of peacock feathers & halcyon flags
101 You climb again to the Nine Heavens
8. Spirit of mountains
135 Mountain Spirit left me alone
136 dark in a bamboo grove
137 Air dark with rain
138 Monkeys twitter again
139 cry all night again
140 And cry and cry
141 all night again
142 Waiting for you
143 I wander and linger
144 turn and turn
145 and turn again---
146 And won't turn back
147 and won't turn back---
9. Count of Rivers
148 Without my beloved
118 With you wandered
119 down rivers and coasts
120 River God
121 in fish-scale boat
122 drawn by dragons
123 with griffin oarsmen
124 With you I wander
125 on the river islands
126 go with you as far
127 as the Southern Shore
128 Dark dusk falling
129 And I too sad
130 to think of returning
131 Eyes only for
132 that farthest shore
133 I lie awake
134 yearning
10. Spirits of warriors
11. End of ritual
Translation missing
Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute
Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute are a series of songs and poems about the life of Han Dynasty poet Cai Wenji, accompanied by 18 scenes painted on a handscroll, commissioned by the Emperor Gaozong of Song .
Poet and composer Cai Yan, more commonly known by her courtesy name "Wenji", was the daughter of a prominent man of letters, Cai Yong. The family resided in Yu Perfecture, Chenliu Commandery, in what is now eastern Henan Province. Cai Wenji was born shortly before 178 CE, and was married at the age of sixteen according to the East Asian age reckoning to Wei Zhongdao in 192 CE. Zhongdao died soon after the wedding, without any offspring. 194-5 CE brought Xiongnu nomads into the Chinese capital and Cai Wenji was taken, along with other hostages, into the frontier. During her captivity, she became the wife of the Zuoxianwang , and bore him two sons. It was not until twelve years later that Cao Cao, the , ransomed her in the name of her father, who had already died before her capture. When Cai Wenji returned to her homeland, she left her children behind in the frontier.
A number of poems have been written to immortalize Cai Wenji's life story including her own. Liu Shang , wrote a poem about Cai Wenji called "Hujia Shiba Pai" . Liu Shang's poem accompanied by 18 scenes painted on a handscroll was commissioned by the first emperor of the Emperor Gaozong of Song. Four fragments, presumed to be of the original, are in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, while the earliest complete copy, apparently from the fourteenth century and formerly in the C. C. Wang collection, resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art; these were published by the museum in 1974 in a book entitled ''Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute''.
allegorical devices, as defined by Erich Auerbach, are "something real and historical which announces something else that is also real and historical...the relation between the two events is related by an accord or similarity".
There are obvious parallels between Cai Wenji's story and that of Gaozong's mother, the , who was captured along with the rest of the imperial clan and held hostage in the north. She was not released until a peace treaty was concluded between the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens in 1142.. Despite its allegorical development derived from Cai Wenji's story, her image today reverberates primarily with the feeling of sorrow.
Epitome
Poet and composer Cai Yan, more commonly known by her courtesy name "Wenji", was the daughter of a prominent man of letters, Cai Yong. The family resided in Yu Perfecture, Chenliu Commandery, in what is now eastern Henan Province. Cai Wenji was born shortly before 178 CE, and was married at the age of sixteen according to the East Asian age reckoning to Wei Zhongdao in 192 CE. Zhongdao died soon after the wedding, without any offspring. 194-5 CE brought Xiongnu nomads into the Chinese capital and Cai Wenji was taken, along with other hostages, into the frontier. During her captivity, she became the wife of the Zuoxianwang , and bore him two sons. It was not until twelve years later that Cao Cao, the , ransomed her in the name of her father, who had already died before her capture. When Cai Wenji returned to her homeland, she left her children behind in the frontier.
Historical sequel
A number of poems have been written to immortalize Cai Wenji's life story including her own. Liu Shang , wrote a poem about Cai Wenji called "Hujia Shiba Pai" . Liu Shang's poem accompanied by 18 scenes painted on a handscroll was commissioned by the first emperor of the Emperor Gaozong of Song. Four fragments, presumed to be of the original, are in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, while the earliest complete copy, apparently from the fourteenth century and formerly in the C. C. Wang collection, resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art; these were published by the museum in 1974 in a book entitled ''Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute''.
Allegorical device
allegorical devices, as defined by Erich Auerbach, are "something real and historical which announces something else that is also real and historical...the relation between the two events is related by an accord or similarity".
There are obvious parallels between Cai Wenji's story and that of Gaozong's mother, the , who was captured along with the rest of the imperial clan and held hostage in the north. She was not released until a peace treaty was concluded between the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens in 1142.. Despite its allegorical development derived from Cai Wenji's story, her image today reverberates primarily with the feeling of sorrow.
Changsha (poem)
Changsha is a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1925. It is considered by many Chinese to be of high literature quality and one of the best of Mao's poems. The text and a translation of the poem in English and German can be found at http://www.infopartisan.net/archive/maowerke/mao_006.htm
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