Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: Poems 1-6

[x_los]

Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute is "a series of Chinese songs and poems about the life of Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) poet Cai Wenji[;] the songs were composed by Liu Shang, a poet of the middle Tang Dynasty. Later Emperor Gaozong of Song (1107–1187) commissioned a handscroll with the songs accompanied by 18 painted scenes." 

This week, we're reading poems 1-6, up to page 40, in this collection. Because of the nature of the book in question, I'll ask you to refer here for Chinese and English copies of the poems and the images together.

You can view the scroll as a whole more easily and read some background on the Met's website; the Wiki page will also help orient you.  

This is the first of three weeks we'll be spending on this collection. I'll link us to some additional background information in the coming weeks, once we've had a chance to orient ourselves; this is the first time the piece we're looking at has come with its own explanatory material, and that's a sound starting-point. 

Comments

5. Encampment by a Stream

[x_los]

第五拍 (5 columns in standard script)
水頭宿兮草頭坐，風吹漢地衣裳破。
羊脂沐髮長不梳，羔子皮裘領仍左。
狐襟貉袖腥復膻，晝披行兮夜披臥。
氈帳時移無定居，日月長兮不可過。

I sleep by water and sit on grass;
The wind that blows from China tears my clothing to pieces.
I clean my hair with mutton fat, but it is seldom combed.
The collar of my lambskin robe is buttoned on the left;*
The fox lapels and badger sleeves are rank-smelling.
By day I wear these clothes, by night I sleep in them.
The felt screens are constantly being moved, since there is no fixed
abode;
How long my days and nights are— they never seem to pass.

* Barbarian-style.

Re: 5. Encampment by a Stream

[x_los]

"I clean my hair with mutton fat" so she's oiling it, this is what they're using as a conditioner up here?

"The fox lapels and badger sleeves are rank-smelling." because she just doesn't like the smell, because they're poorly-made, or because everyone is sleeping in them day-in, day-out?

"its warming bowl" so you drink the wine hot?

So I guess these guys have cows along in the travelling party.

oh the tent has a little skylight

I didn't notice the dragon finials on this tarp before

Husband seems to be lecturing her about something, some 'cheer up, love! it might never happen!' shit?

What's with high boots/rucked up robes guy?

Re: 5. Encampment by a Stream

[vorvayne]

Idk about the Xiongnu but drinking wine hot is (was?) a thing esp if you're sick or I mean if it's cold, which presumably it is where she is.

Re: 5. Encampment by a Stream

[superborb]

Rucked up robes guy seems to be "The man walking from the cooking area shows us how this horse-riding people managed its long robes on less than formal occasions."