The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.1 - 3.8

[x_los]

This week we start working with Li Qingzhao’s ci poetry. As usual, the book is freely available via De Gruyter's Library of Chinese Humanities in Mandarin and English and via several publication formats, including two open access options (the pdf appears to be better formatted than the ebook). We're reading the poems 3.1 through 3.8 inclusive.

This collection uses footnotes and endnotes to explicate the work. There are three endnotes for this week’s group of poems, but these aren’t very rich in exegesis.

CLP has an episode on Li Qingzhao you might find relevant.

Comments

3.2

[x_los]

轉調滿庭芳

芳草池塘
綠陰庭院
晚晴寒透窗紗。
玉鈎金鎖 管是客來唦。 寂寞尊前席上 惟愁海角天涯。
能留否 酴醾落盡 猶賴有梨花。
當年
曾勝賞
生香熏袖
活火分茶。
儘如龍驕馬
流水輕車。 不怕風狂雨驟 恰才稱 煮酒牋花。
如今也 不成懷抱
得似舊時那。

To the tune “Fragrance Fills the Courtyard, Modulated Version”

A pond amid fragrant grasses,
courtyard shaded in green,
on a clear evening, coolness enters the window gauze.
Jade hook and golden lock—
surely the guests have arrived!
But lonely before wine cup and banquet setting,
aware only of sadness at the sky’s edge and end of the sea.
Will they be willing to stay for long? The thornberry flowers have all fallen, at least the pear blossoms remain.
In former years,
we had the grandest pleasures.
Honey-bush incense perfumed our sleeves, cakes of tea were broken over live coals. Prancing steeds like sleek dragons
drew fluttering carriages swift as rushing waters.
What did we care about blustery winds or driving rains? All the better for
warming wine and inscribing flowery paper.
But as for today—
no feeling at all forms in the heart,
how could we ever be like that again?

Re: 3.2

[x_los]

“Jade hook and golden lock—” is this specially significant?

“cakes of tea were broken over live coals.” Er, why?

The vibes on this are really resonant, tho I’m not sure exactly what it’s about

Re: 3.2

[pengwern]

waking the fire to divide the tea is just describing parts of the tea ceremony which the Song had the wherewithal to luxuriate in (before the whole national trauma ofc)
the jade hook is the crescent moon, the gold lock is on the door (they like pairing jade and gold)
her verses are so pretty....aaa

Re: 3.2

[x_los]

Oh huh, I listened through https://teacup.media/teahistorypodcast and that part didn't come up in the Song section, which had me wondering what role it played.

Re: 3.2

[superborb]

Baike notes three versions of the poem: the first is the one that most use, but has some gaps, the second is the one from Yuefu Ya Ci, and the third is the one passed down from the Qing dynasty. This text uses the latter.

Baike's annotation on the 'jade hook', which is found only in that third version, is that it doesn't have much connection to the next line, so is an error or later addition.

Baike notes that the last character of line 5 is not recorded in the book, but should be read with this sound as an auxiliary word according to the rhythm. (Perhaps it's not recorded because it's assumed to be present along with the tune? Interesting.)

Baike also says the later filling in of the 'pear blossom' is inappropriate, as there is an inconsistency in meaning with the previous sentence. Pear blossoms bloom /before/ thornberries, so it is seasonally inappropriate.

And there were a handful of other additions that Baike comments on, but didn't have much to say.

Baike is also very insistent on interpreting this through the lens of LQZ and her history.

Re: 3.2

[x_los]

Yeah apparently per the book that's a nearly universal thing criticism has to fight off with a stick.