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.

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

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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 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.

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.

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.

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 Zhang

Jiu Zhang is a collection of poems attributed to Qu Yuan and printed in the Chu Ci .

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.

 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