tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38421814862183809692024-03-14T01:32:43.133-07:00Chinese poemsAll about Chinese poems, Chinese poems basic information.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-68787888254688498582008-09-20T02:18:00.014-07:002008-09-20T02:19:00.438-07:00Zhao Hun<strong>Zhao Hun</strong> is a poem by Qu Yuan, and collected in the Chu Ci . The title is translated as <strong>Summons of the Soul</strong>, or <strong>Summoning of the Soul</strong>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
O Soul come back to joys beyond all telling!<br />
Where thirty cubits high at harvest time<br />
The corn is stacked;<br />
Where pies are cooked of millet and bearded maize.<br />
Guests watch the steaming bowls<br />
And sniff the pungency of peppered herbs.<br />
The cunning cook adds slices of bird-flesh,<br />
Pigeon and yellow heron and black crane.<br />
They taste the badget-stew.<br />
O Soul come back to feed on foods you love!<br />
<br />
Next are brought<br />
Fresh turtle, and sweet chicken cooked with cheese<br />
Pressed by the men of Ch'ü.<br />
And flesh of whelps floating in liver sauce<br />
With salad of minced radishes in brine;<br />
All served with that hot spice of southernwood<br />
The land of Wu supplies.<br />
O Soul come back to choose the meats you love!<br />
<br />
Roasted daw, steamed widgeon and grilled quail--<br />
On every fowl they fare.<br />
Boiled perch and sparrow broth-- in each preserved<br />
The separate flavor that is most its own.<br />
O Soul come back to where such dainties wait!<br />
<br />
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.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-24555380251052549452008-09-20T02:18:00.013-07:002008-09-20T02:18:53.791-07:00Yuan You<strong>Yuan You</strong> is a poem attributed to Qu Yuan and published in the Chu Ci .geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-77221075224482183582008-09-20T02:18:00.011-07:002008-09-20T02:18:47.022-07:00Yu Fu<strong>Yu Fu</strong> is a poem attributed to Qu Yuan and published in the Chu Ci .geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-14611793503940184252008-09-20T02:18:00.009-07:002008-09-20T02:18:39.164-07:00Yellow Crane Tower<strong>Yellow Crane Tower</strong> 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
It was made famous by a poem written by . <br />
黄鹤楼<br /><br />
昔人已乘黄鹤去,此地空余黄鹤楼。<br /><br />
黄鹤一去不复返,白云千载空悠悠。<br /><br />
晴川历历汉阳树,芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。<br /><br />
日暮乡关何处是? 烟波江上使人愁。 <br /><br />
<br />
There is another famous poem about it by Li Bai.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
黄鹤楼送盂浩然之广陵<br /><br />
故人西辞黄鹤楼,<br /><br />
烟花三月下扬州。<br /><br />
孤帆远影碧空尽,<br /><br />
唯见长江天际流 <br /><br />
<br />
which roughly translates to: <br />
<br />
My old friend's said goodbye to the west, here at Yellow Crane Tower,<br /><br />
In the third month's cloud of willow blossoms, he's going down to Yangzhou.<br /><br />
The lonely sail is a distant shadow, on the edge of a blue emptiness,<br /><br />
All I see is the Yangtze River flow to the far horizon.<br /><br />
<br />
Yellow Crane Tower is also a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1927.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-86690341101348331882008-09-20T02:18:00.007-07:002008-09-20T02:18:32.474-07:00The Quatrain of Seven StepsThe <strong>Seven Steps Verse</strong>, also known as the <strong>Quatrain of Seven Steps</strong> , 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.<br />
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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 .<br />
<br />
<a name='Version 1' id='Version 1'></a><h2>Version 1</h2><br />
<br />
煮豆持作羹,Zhu3 Dou4 Chi2 Zuo4 Geng1,<br><br />
漉鼓以为汁。Lu4 Chi3 Yi3 Wei2 Zhi1.<br><br />
萁在釜下燃,Qi2 Zai4 Fu3 Xia4 Ran2,<br><br />
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4.<br><br />
本是同根生,Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1,<br><br />
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2?<br><br />
<br />
''Boiling the beans to create the soup,''<br><br />
''filtering them to extract the juice.''<br><br />
''The beanstalks were charred amidst the flames,''<br><br />
''and of this the beans thus wailed:''<br><br />
''"Borne are we of the same root;''<br><br />
''should you now burn me with such disregard?"''<br><br />
<br />
<a name='Version 2' id='Version 2'></a><h2>Version 2</h2><br />
<br />
煮豆燃豆萁,Zhu3 Dou4 Ran2 Dou4 Qi2, <br><br />
豆在釜中泣。Dou4 Zai4 Fu3 Zhong1 Qi4. <br><br />
本是同根生,Ben3 Shi4 Tong2 Gen1 Sheng1, <br><br />
相煎何太急? Xiang1 Jian1 He2 Tai4 Ji2? <br><br />
<br />
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...''<br />
<br />
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 .geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-21654003792430348032008-09-20T02:18:00.005-07:002008-09-20T02:18:25.494-07:00The Epic of Wo Bau-Sae<strong>The Epic of Wo Bau-Sae</strong> 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.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-70123164424007701572008-09-20T02:18:00.003-07:002008-09-20T02:18:18.938-07:00The Double Ninth"<strong>The Double Nine</strong>" 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.<br />
<br />
Man ages all too easily, not Nature;<br\><br />
Year by year the Double Ninth returns.<br\><br />
On this Double Ninth,<br\><br />
The yellow blooms on the battle field smell sweeter.<br\><br />
<br />
Each year the autumn wind blow fierce,<br\><br />
Unlike string's splendour,<br\><br />
Yet surpassing spring's splendour,<br\><br />
See the endless expanse of frosty sky and water.<br\>geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-78548522848618960442008-09-20T02:18:00.001-07:002008-09-20T02:18:12.058-07:00Story of Darkness<strong>The Story of Darkness</strong> 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.<br />
<br />
<a name='Origin' id='Origin'></a><h2>Origin</h2><br />
<br />
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. <br />
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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.<br />
<br />
<a name='Summary' id='Summary'></a><h2>Summary</h2><br />
<br />
The epic is composed of origin myths. The topics discussed include the creation of the universe, the world, and humans.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-18343027625744079722008-09-20T02:16:00.010-07:002008-09-20T02:18:03.292-07:00Shui diao ge tou<strong>Shui diao ge tou</strong> 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.<br />
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<a name='Text of the Poem' id='Text of the Poem'></a><h2>Text of the Poem</h2><br />
<br />
<center><br />
水調歌頭<sup style="font-size: 8pt">1</sup><br />
</center><br />
<br />
丙辰<sup>2</sup>中秋<sup>3</sup>, <br />
歡飲達旦, <br /><br />
大醉, <br /><br />
作此篇, <br /><br />
兼懷子由<sup>4</sup>。<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
明月幾時有? <br />把酒問青天。 <br />不知天上宮闕<sup>5</sup>,<br /> 今夕是何年?<br /><br /><br />
我欲乘風歸去, <br />唯恐瓊樓玉宇<sup>6</sup>, <br />高處不勝寒。 <br />起舞弄清影<sup>7</sup>, <br />何似在人間<sup>8</sup>!<br /><br /><br />
<br />
轉朱閣<sup>9</sup>,<br /> 低綺戶<sup>10</sup>, <br />照無眠<sup>11</sup>。 <br />不應有恨, <br />何事長向別時圓?<br /><br /><br />
人有悲歡離合, <br />月有陰晴圓缺, <br />此事古難全。 <br />但願人長久, <br />千里共嬋娟<sup>12</sup>。<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='English translation' id='English translation'></a><h2>English translation</h2><br />
<br />
Bright moon, when did you appear? <br /><br />
Lifting my wine, I question the dark night sky. <br /><br />
Tonight in the palaces and halls of heaven <br /><br />
what year is it, I wonder? <br /><br />
<br /><br />
I would like to ride the wind, make my home there, <br /><br />
Only I hide in a jade room of a beautiful mansion, <br /><br />
As I could not bear the cold of high altitudes. <br /><br />
So I rise and dance and play in your pure beams, <br /><br />
this human world — how can it compare with yours? <br /><br />
<br /><br />
Circling red chambers, <br /><br />
low in the curtained door, <br /><br />
you shine on the sleepless. <br /><br />
Surely you bear us no ill will — <br /><br />
why then must you be so round at times when we humans are parted! <br /><br />
<br /><br />
People have their grieves and joys, their togetherness and separation, <br /><br />
The moon has its dark and clear times, its waxings and wanings.<br /><br />
Situations are never ideal since long ago.<br /><br />
I only hope we two may have long long lives, <br /><br />
So that we may share the moon's beauty even though we are a thousand miles apart. <br /><br />
<br />
<a name='Notes on the Poem' id='Notes on the Poem'></a><h2>Notes on the Poem</h2><br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! || width="8%" | Characters || width="15%" | Pinyin || Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| 1. || 水�br />
<br />
<a name='Tunes of the poem' id='Tunes of the poem'></a><h2>Tunes of the poem</h2><br />
<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.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-74963997208315156442008-09-20T02:16:00.009-07:002008-09-20T02:16:38.139-07:00SandokaiThe <strong>Sandokai</strong> 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. <br />
<br />
<a name='The text' id='The text'></a><h2>The text</h2><br />
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;<br />
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.<br />
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Toward the end of his life Shunryu Suzuki Roshi gave a series of lectures on the Sandokai.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-87161243375204523842008-09-20T02:16:00.007-07:002008-09-20T02:16:30.555-07:00Reply to Li Shuyi<strong>Reply to Li Shuyi</strong> 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.<br />
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<br />
蝶 恋 花<br /><br />
答 李 淑 一<br /><br />
一九五七年五月十一日<br /><br />
<br /><br />
我失骄杨君失柳,<br /><br />
杨柳轻扬直上重霄九。<br /><br />
问讯吴刚何所有,<br /><br />
吴刚捧出桂花酒。<br /><br />
<br /><br />
寂寞嫦娥舒广袖,<br /><br />
万里长空且为忠魂舞。<br /><br />
忽报人间曾伏虎,<br /><br />
泪飞顿作倾盆雨。<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I lost my proud Poplar and you your Willow,<br /><br />
Poplar and Willow soar to the Ninth Heaven.<br /><br />
Wu Gang, asked what he can give,<br /><br />
Serves them a laurel wine.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
The lonely moon goddess spreads her ample sleeves<br /><br />
To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space.<br /><br />
Earth suddenly reports the tiger subdued,<br /><br />
Tears of joy pour forth falling as mighty rain.<br />geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-8280795008744606802008-09-20T02:16:00.005-07:002008-09-20T02:16:21.906-07:00Loushan Pass<strong>Loushan Pass</strong> is a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1935 during the Long March. <strong>Loushan Pass</strong> 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. <br />
<br />
Fierce the west wind,<br\><br />
Wild geese cry under the frosty morning moon.<br\><br />
Under the frosty morning moon<br\><br />
Horses' hooves clattering,<br\><br />
Bugles sobbing low.<br\><br />
<br />
Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron,<br\><br />
With firm strides we are crossing its summit.<br\><br />
We are crossing its summit,<br\><br />
The rolling hills sea-blue,<br\><br />
The dying sun blood-red.<br\>geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-77778049756466664762008-09-20T02:16:00.003-07:002008-09-20T02:16:13.855-07:00Li Sao<strong>Li Sao</strong> 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. <br />
<br />
<a name='Title' id='Title'></a><h2>Title</h2><br />
<br />
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 <strong>The Lament</strong> or <strong>Encountering Trouble</strong>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='Description' id='Description'></a><h2>Description</h2><br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-3427257430572252212008-09-20T02:16:00.001-07:002008-09-20T02:16:06.768-07:00Jiu Zhang<strong>Jiu Zhang</strong> is a collection of poems attributed to Qu Yuan and printed in the Chu Ci .geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-79305190285072646922008-09-20T02:15:00.004-07:002008-09-20T02:16:00.075-07:00Jiu 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<pre><br />
国殇<br />
操吴戈兮披犀甲,车错毂兮短兵接。 <br />
旌蔽日兮敌若云,矢交坠兮土争先。 <br />
<br />
凌余阵兮躐余行,左骖殪兮右刃伤。<br />
<br />
霾两轮兮絷四马,援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。 <br />
天时懟兮威灵怒,严杀尽兮弃原野。<br />
<br />
出不入兮往不反,平原忽兮路超远。 <br />
带长剑兮挟秦弓,首身离兮心不惩。<br />
<br />
诚以勇兮又以武,终刚强兮不可凌。<br />
身既死兮神以灵,魂魄毅兮为鬼雄。<br />
</pre><br />
<br />
<pre><br />
Translation in english:<br />
<br />
1.King of the sky<br />
<br />
1 Strike the Dark Strings <br />
2 Strike Strike <br />
3 the dark strings <br />
4 And reed & zither answer <br />
5 Spirit moves <br />
6 in splendid gear <br />
7 And is the body's splendid shaman <br />
8 through which a god may sing <br />
9 And indeed does sing <br />
10 And strikes and strikes <br />
11 that Darkest Bell <br />
12 ah darkest bell--- <br />
13 my body struck <br />
14 with love <br />
<br />
2. Lord of Cloud <br />
<br />
15 Flower-spirit, shaman-child <br />
16 in blaze of brightness dancing <br />
17 Endless as the earth <br />
18 She dances round it <br />
19 As sun <br />
20 As mantic moon <br />
21 in dragon-chariot of sun <br />
22 O endless flight! <br />
23 Part of me climbs to heaven <br />
24 through the four seas & seasons <br />
25 Longing for you <br />
<br />
3.Lord of Sun <br />
<br />
70 Lord Sun <br />
71 wheels in flight <br />
72 trailing his spirit-garment <br />
73 High over the Nine Hills <br />
74 he handles Yin & Yang <br />
75 male & female <br />
76 shade & sunshine <br />
77 soul & body <br />
78 a Yin for every Yang <br />
79 And gallops into Light <br />
80 I pluck the lovely hemp flower <br />
81 Age creeps on apace <br />
82 Soon all will be over <br />
83 Soon all done all one <br />
84 And fate is fixed in the heart <br />
85 And not to draw nearer <br />
86 is to drift forever <br />
87 further apart<br />
<br />
4. Lord of Xiang-river <br />
<br />
50 I build a bride-room <br />
51 underwater <br />
52 roof thatched with lotus <br />
53 courtyard paved with murex <br />
54 At dark dusk I cross <br />
55 to the Western bank <br />
56 Here it was <br />
57 she cast down <br />
58 her thin dress <br />
59 upon the shore <br />
60 Over the white nut grass <br />
61 my eyes wander <br />
62 see only water swirl <br />
63 in the flood rains <br />
64 Someone says my loved one sent for me <br />
65 I gallop my horses <br />
66 over the lotus leaves <br />
67 toward where a dragon waits <br />
68 toward where an elk browses <br />
69 On the Mountain of Nine Doubts<br />
<br />
5. Mrs. Xiang <br />
<br />
26 She-shaman princess <br />
27 in a stone boat <br />
28 in winged dragon-boat <br />
29 awning of fig-vine <br />
30 sweet flag paddles <br />
31 magnolia rudder <br />
32 Rides to that Island <br />
33 to that Bright Island <br />
34 abode of light <br />
35 Swinging her mesmere lamp <br />
36 her incense burner <br />
37 on a gold chain <br />
38 She drops her thumb-ring in the Sea <br />
39 And turning <br />
40 and turning <br />
41 stretches her body burning <br />
42 toward me <br />
43 <br />
46 And flying dragons sweep her far away <br />
47 from me <br />
48 I gallop my horse in the morning <br />
49 through the lowlands by the river <br />
<br />
6. Master of Fate<br />
<br />
102 A glow in the sky <br />
103 and soon you'll arise <br />
104 Night pales <br />
105 Day shines forth <br />
106 You ride on thunder wheels <br />
107 cloud banners trailing <br />
108 heave great sighs <br />
109 look back yearning <br />
110 for earth's beauty burning <br />
111 look and linger <br />
112 forget your way <br />
113 I draw a long arrow <br />
114 and shoot Heaven's Wolf <br />
115 then draw me down the Dipper <br />
116 And plunge alone into <br />
117 the White Void<br />
<br />
7. Young Master of Fate <br />
<br />
88 Hall full of lovely ones <br />
89 Yet you had eyes for me alone <br />
90 Riding a whirlwind A cloud for a banner <br />
91 Suddenly you came <br />
92 And as suddenly departed <br />
93 And only had eyes for me <br />
94 I bathed with you <br />
95 in the Pool of Heaven <br />
96 In a sunny fold of the hill <br />
97 I dried your hair <br />
98 Now it is I who shout & sing with despair <br />
99 Under a chariot-awning <br />
100 of peacock feathers & halcyon flags <br />
101 You climb again to the Nine Heavens<br />
<br />
8. Spirit of mountains<br />
<br />
135 Mountain Spirit left me alone <br />
136 dark in a bamboo grove <br />
137 Air dark with rain <br />
138 Monkeys twitter again <br />
139 cry all night again <br />
140 And cry and cry <br />
141 all night again <br />
142 Waiting for you <br />
143 I wander and linger <br />
144 turn and turn <br />
145 and turn again--- <br />
146 And won't turn back <br />
147 and won't turn back--- <br />
<br />
9. Count of Rivers <br />
<br />
148 Without my beloved<br />
118 With you wandered <br />
119 down rivers and coasts <br />
120 River God <br />
121 in fish-scale boat <br />
122 drawn by dragons <br />
123 with griffin oarsmen <br />
124 With you I wander <br />
125 on the river islands <br />
126 go with you as far <br />
127 as the Southern Shore <br />
128 Dark dusk falling <br />
129 And I too sad <br />
130 to think of returning <br />
131 Eyes only for <br />
132 that farthest shore <br />
133 I lie awake <br />
134 yearning<br />
<br />
10. Spirits of warriors <br />
<br />
11. End of ritual<br />
Translation missing<br />
</pre>geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-51510762122901832122008-09-20T02:15:00.003-07:002008-09-20T02:15:50.246-07:00Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute<strong>Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute</strong> 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 .<br />
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<a name='Epitome' id='Epitome'></a><h2>Epitome</h2><br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='Historical sequel' id='Historical sequel'></a><h2>Historical sequel</h2><br />
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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''.<br />
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<a name='Allegorical device' id='Allegorical device'></a><h2>Allegorical device</h2><br />
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".<br />
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.geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-72458470709315819472008-09-20T02:15:00.001-07:002008-09-20T02:15:41.476-07:00Changsha (poem)<strong>Changsha</strong> 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.htmgeadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842181486218380969.post-65472360046878069142008-09-20T02:14:00.000-07:002008-09-20T02:15:33.514-07:00Bu Ju<strong>Bu Ju</strong> a poem attributed to Qu Yuan and published in the Chu Ci .geadreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260432833661410777noreply@blogger.com0