Aug. 23rd, 2021 04:35 pm
Nineteen Old Poems: Week 2 of 2
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dankodes * There were two votes in favour of East Asia Student's translations, so that's what I've gone with. If you prefer or would like to bring another translation into the discussion, please feel free.
* Chapter Five of How to Read Chinese Poetry is specifically about the Nineteen Old Poems.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
* Remember you can also look at How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context, though it doesn't specifically treat this collection.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* Chapter Five of How to Read Chinese Poetry is specifically about the Nineteen Old Poems.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
* Remember you can also look at How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context, though it doesn't specifically treat this collection.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* I found the best option for the weekly reminder emails, via Gmail. The external service options are more involved than our purposes require. Does anyone know anything about how to arrange an Apps Script? Basically all it has to do is tell ten people, on Saturdays, to come and get their juice/poems.
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* Next batch of poems, the first half of Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, MONDAY, AUGUST 30th.
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* Next batch of poems, the first half of Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, MONDAY, AUGUST 30th.
19. 明月何皎皎 – Why is the Bright Moon So Clear?
míng yuè hé jiǎo jiǎo
[bright] [moon] [why] [clear] [clear]
Why is the bright moon so clear?
照我羅床緯
zhào wǒ luó chuáng wěi
[illuminate] [my] [gauze] [bed] [weave]
It illuminates the gauze weave of my bed.
憂愁不能寐
kōu chóu bùnéng mèi
[concern] [worry] [not] [can] [sleep soundly]
Worried, one cannot sleep soundly.
攬衣起徘徊
lǎn yī qǐ pái huái
[seize] [clothes] [rise] [dither] [hesitate]
Grabbing clothes, ones rises and dithers hesitantly.
客行雖云樂
kè xíng suī yún lè
[guest] [travel] [even] [say] [happy]
The guest’s journey, although it could be said to be happy,
不如早旋歸
bù rú zǎo xuán guī
[not] [as good] [early] [revolve] [return] ([旋歸](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/11/ZdicE6Zdic97Zdic8B223756.htm "Meaning of 旋歸") is a binome meaning 'return'.)
is not as good as an early return.
出戶獨徬徨
chū hù dú páng huáng
[exit] [household] [alone] [uncertain] [uncertain]
One leaves the household alone, uncertain.
愁思當告誰
chóu sī dāng gào shuí
[worry] [consider] [should] [tell] [whom]
Worried, one considers whom one should tell.
引領還入房
yǐn lǐng huán rù fáng
[look forward][] [return] [enter] [house] ([引領](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/4/ZdicE5ZdicBCZdic95303489.htm "Meaning of 引領") is a binome meaning 'to look forward to'.)
One looks forward to returning and entering the house.
淚下沾裳衣
lèi xià zhān shang yī
[tears] [fall] [moisten] [skirt] [clothes]
Tears fall, moistening one’s skirts and clothes.
Re: 19. 明月何皎皎 – Why is the Bright Moon So Clear?
This one feels vague.
Re: 19. 明月何皎皎 – Why is the Bright Moon So Clear?
Two interpretations: wanderer visiting foreign country, or woman alone in her lady's chamber. Both are basically wandering around at night, either homesick or lonely.