dankodes | The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.25

The fourth instalment of Li Qingzhao’s ci poetry. This 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 3.25 through 3.32, inclusive.

Four of this week’s poems have endnotes, but these offer only small points of Chinese language exegesis.

How to Read Chinese Poetry has three chapters on the ci forms Li Qingzhao uses here:

Chapter 12, Ci Poetry: Short Song Lyrics (Xiaoling)

Chapter 13, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics (Manci)

Chapter 14, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics on Objects (Yongwu Ci)

This week, we look at Chapter 13 as recommended additional reading.

It may interest you to know that if you’ve been doing the additional reading, you’re now more than 1/3 of the way through How to Read Chinese Poetry:

Ch 1 (Shi Jing)
Ch 5 (19 Old Poems)
Ch 8 (Du Fu
Ch 9 (Du Fu)
Ch 10 (Du Fu)
Ch 12 (Li Qingzhao)
Ch 18 (Du Fu)

These next two chapters related to ci poetry will see us to the halfway point.

In contrast, I’ve been neglecting Chinese Poetry in Context: I believe we've read only Ch 15. I hope to be more assiduous about recommending it in future, when we cover pertinent people. So far, we’ve been a bit misaligned (or I wasn’t yet recommending specific chapters for discussion, when something pertinent came up).

THIS WEEK, recall from the introduction that 3.24 - 3.28 may be misattributed.

If you’d like to be added to the reminder email list, let me know the address you wish to be contacted via. (You can also unsubscribe from the reminders at any time simply by replying ‘unsubscribe’.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

念奴嬌

蕭條庭院
又斜風細雨
重門須閉。
寵柳嬌花寒食近種種惱人天氣。險韻詩成扶頭酒醒
別是閑滋味。征鴻過盡萬千心事難寄。
樓上幾日春寒
簾垂四面
玉闌干慵倚。
被冷香消新夢覺
不許愁人不起。
清露晨流
新桐初引
多少遊春意。
日高煙斂 更看今日晴未。

To the tune “Recalling Her Charm”

So deserted, the courtyard, what’s more, a fine drizzle is blown by slanting winds, the double doors must be kept shut.
Oh, the beloved willows and lovely flowers, as Cold Food Day approaches,
it’s the season that’s unsettling in so many ways. My poem set to a difficult rhyme is finished, I sober up from strong wine
to a special flavor of idleness. The migrating geese fly past, but they could never transmit the countless concerns on my mind.
Spring chill has lasted several days in my upper-story room,
the blinds hang down on all four sides,
I’m too languid to lean on the jade balustrade. My blanket is cold, the incense burned out, awake now from a dream, it’s impossible with such sadness not to arise.
See—pure dewdrops drift down in the morning air, new paulownia leaves are putting forth buds, perfect for a springtime outing! As the sun rises and the mist burns off,
Let me look to see if the sky will be clear today.

She is super into Cold Food Day, any reason?

It’s that goose based postal system again

“jade balustrade.” Is this whole balustrade literally made of jade wtf it can’t be can it?

The wording on “it’s impossible with such sadness not to arise.” Is awkward—is the sentiment inescapable, or the rising?

“paulownia leaves” these guys again

Uncharacteristically cheerful ending

Baike says the jade balustrade is a fanciful moniker.

The vernacular translation makes it seem like the rising is inescapable, and that she's been sad lately.

The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.25 - 3.32

3.29

Re: 3.29

Re: 3.29