Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: Poems 13-18

[x_los]

 This week, we're reading poems 13-18 in, and thus finishing up, 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. In case it's useful, here is a plain-text version of the scroll. 

This is the final week we'll be spending on this poem cycle. Please check the previous two entries if you'd like further background information.

Comments

13. The Farewell

[x_los]

第十三拍 (5 columns in standard script)
童稚牽衣雙在側，將來不可留又憶。
還鄉惜別兩難分，寧棄胡兒歸舊國。
山川萬里復邊戍，背面無由得消息。
淚痕滿面對殘陽，終日依依向南北。

My child pulls at my clothes, one on either side;
I cannot take them with me, but in leaving them behind, how I shall miss them!
To return home and to depart in sorrow – my emotions are mixed.
Now I must abandon my children in order to return home.
Across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, I shall arrive at our border stations.
Once having turned away, forever there shall be no news from my children.
With tear-stained face I turn toward the setting sun;
All day long I have stood there, looking to the south and then to the north.

Re: 13. The Farewell

[x_los]

Crane Wife vibes?

Does she actually have any choice re going or staying?

Arguably her adult male children could seek her out and come live as Chinese citizens off her patrimony?

And can no one really send a letter, ever?

Other than the hair, the artist hasn’t made any big effort to present these subjects as ‘racially distinct’ from the Han emissaries 

Covered qin AGAIN

Re: 13. The Farewell

[superborb]

I suppose her children are sons of a high ranking member of the Xiongnu, so probably not able to move freely into Han China? Also wiki seems to say that during this time period ish, the Xiongnu are relatively less powerful than they had been, but probably any news between them would be politically inflected?