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dankodesThe fifth 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 3.33 through 3.40, inclusive.
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 14 as recommended additional reading.
Recall from the introduction that everything after 3.35 is relatively likely to be misattributed.
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3.33
窗前誰種芭蕉樹
陰滿中庭。
陰滿中庭。
葉葉心心 舒卷有餘情。
傷心枕上三更雨
點滴霖霪。
點滴霖霪。
愁損北人 不慣起來聽。
To the tune “Vile Charmer, Long Version”
Who planted a banana tree in front of the window?
Its shade fills the central courtyard. Its shade fills the central courtyard.
Leaf after leaf, heart after heart, folding and unfolding with an excess of feeling.
It grieves the heart, midnight rain heard from my pillow,
dripping leaf to leaf, through a steady drizzle.
Dripping leaf to leaf, through a steady drizzle.
The sadness overwhelms a northerner, who’s not used to awakening to this sound in the night.
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3.34
暗淡輕黃體性柔。
情疏跡遠只香留。
何須淺碧輕紅色
自是花中第一流。
梅定妒
菊應羞。
畫欄開處冠中秋。
騷人可煞無情思
何事當年不見收。
To the tune “Partridge Sky” The Osmanthus Tree
A pale wash of light yellow, gentle in substance and character. Aloof by nature, yet its fragrance carries afar. What need is there of light cyan or pale red blossoms?
This one ranks first among all the flowers.
The plum must be jealous, the chrysanthemum humbled. Blossoming beside the painted railing, it is supreme in autumn.
How could the ancient poet be so unfeeling and careless? Why did he omit this flower from his work?
Re: 3.34
“osmanthus or sweet- olive tree” wait how is this sweet olive, isn’t this tree the basis of many deserts?
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One of the 'famous reviews' says that it's saying that the osmanthus might not be as bright and colorful, but is elegant and gentle.
Sweet olive is just another name for osmanthus.
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3.35
南昌生日
微寒應候。
望日邊
六葉堦蓂初秀。
愛景欲挂扶桑 漏殘銀箭 杓回瑶斗。 慶高閎此際
掌上一顆明珠剖。 有令容淑質 歸逢佳偶。 到如今
晝錦滿堂貴胄。
榮耀
文步紫禁
一一金章綠綬。
更值棠棣連陰 虎符熊軾
夾河分守。
況青雲咫尺 朝暮重入承明後。
看彩衣爭獻
蘭羞玉酎。
祝千齡
借指松椿比壽。
To the tune “The Joy of Long Life” Nanchang’s Birthday
There is disagreement among scholars concerning for whom this congratulatory birthday poem was written, some saying the recipient (Lady Nanchang, of the subtitle), was the mother of Han Xiaozhou, Li Qingzhao’s relative and benefactor, and others suggesting that it was the mother of Zhao Mingcheng, Li Qingzhao’s first husband. The opening stanza alludes to the lady’s birth on the dawn of a winter day, her parents’ pride in the newborn child, her good marriage, and her offspring and descendants who now congratulate her on her birthday. The second stanza describes the distin- guished official careers of her sons, the emperor’s favor toward them, and the presents the family offers to their mother and matriarch on her birthday.
A slight chill came with the season. Beside the sun, we saw six leaves of the auspicious step-bush were formed.
The genial winter orb hung in Mulberry Tree, the silver arrow was barely floating in the clepsydra, the handle pivoted on precious Dipper. Blessed, this moment in the towering hall:
a pearl was opened in the palm of the hand. Favored as she was with comely face and gentle nature, in marriage a fine match was made. And now, on this auspicious day,
Morning Brocade Hall is filled with high-ranking descendants.
Honored and glorified, they stride into the Purple Palace one by one wearing golden insignia and green tassels.
What’s more, brothers like sweet-plums stand side by side, their shade intertwining,
tiger seals and carriages with bear-carvings, serving as governors on both sides of the river.
Within inches of azure clouds high aloft, morning and evening they repeatedly ascend the Palace of
Enlightenment. See the colored silks his offspring vie to offer as presents, together with tasty delicacies and jade cups of liquor. They convey wishes for a thousand years,
the longevity of pine tree and fragrant cedar.
Re: 3.35
“the handle pivoted on precious Dipper.” Not that clear—all horoscope stuff, about the day in question?
Re: 3.35
The silver arrow line indicates that dawn is breaking. Clepsydra = water clock and the silver arrow is a thing in the water clock that indicates the exact time.
The dipper line indicates that the handle of the dipper has returned east, and spring has arrived.
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The Baike gloss on the brothers like sweet-plums is that it is a reference to this guy http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/personsshaogongshi.html, and means the brothers are continually blessed.
Baike notes that the carriages with bear-carvings are reserved for senior / high ranking officials. The tiger seals, we of course know from MDZS.
3.36, Summoning Relatives on the Third Day Festival
上巳召親族
永夜厭厭歡意少。
空夢當時
認取長安道。
為報今年春色好。 花光月影宜相照。
隨意杯盤雖草草。
酒美梅酸 恰稱人怀抱。
醉莫插花花莫笑。
可憐春似人將老。
To the tune “Butterfly Loves Flowers”
Summoning Relatives on the Third Day Festival
The long night is oppressive, pleasant thoughts few. In vain I dream of years past, recognizing the roads of Chang’an.
Spring’s colors this year, I’m told, are lovely. Bright blossoms and moonlight must be illuminating each other.
Though the cups and plates casually set out are not elaborate,
the richness of the wine and the sourness of plums
are a perfect match for our feelings.
When drunk, don’t put flowers in your hair, and flowers, don’t you laugh.
How sad! Spring is getting old, just like the person.
Re: 3.36, Summoning Relatives on the Third Day Festival
“When drunk, don’t put flowers in your hair, and flowers, don’t you laugh.” Why not, and why?
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I'm not quite sure how to understand this?
Re: 3.36, Summoning Relatives on the Third Day Festival
The discussion section says 'spring' is a metaphor for the state, and thus mourning the country's ruin.
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3.37
夢斷漏悄。
愁濃酒惱。
寶枕生寒
翠屏向曉。 門外誰掃殘紅。 夜來風。
玉簫聲斷人何處。
春又去
忍把歸期負。
此情此恨此際
擬托行雲。
問東君。
To the tune “Resenting the Prince”
My dream interrupted, the water-clock is quiet. Sadness is heavy, the wine annoying now. From the precious pillow springs a chill.
The blue-green screen shows approaching dawn. Who will sweep up the faded red blossoms outside my door blown down by tonight’s wind?
The jade flute melody has ended—where has the player gone?
Spring too is departing,
how can I have betrayed its return? This mood, this regret: at this moment, I should use the fleeting clouds
to ask the Lord of the East.
Re: 3.37
“how can I have betrayed its return?” By not feeling/caring about it enough?
“I should use the fleeting clouds to ask the Lord of the East.” About what?
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3.38
帝里春晚。
重門深院。
草綠階前
暮天雁斷。
樓上遠信誰傳。
恨綿綿。
多情自是多沾惹。 8 難拚捨。
又是寒食也。
鞦韆巷陌人靜
皎月初斜。
浸梨花。
To the tune “Resenting the Prince”
The imperial city, late in spring. Double doors, a secluded courtyard. Grasses are green before the steps,
4 at dusk the wild geese no longer fly.
Who sends a distant letter to the person in the room aloft? Regrets stretch on and on.
People full of feeling have always been full of distress. 8 It’s impossible to cast aside.
And now, the Cold Food Festival again. The garden swing by the lane is deserted as the bright moon begins to set,
suffusing the pear blossoms with light.
Re: 3.38
Man these geese with their messages are fuckin everywhere
“People full of feeling have always been full of distress.” eesh
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3.39
樓上晴天碧四垂。
樓前芳草接天涯。
勸君莫上最高梯。
新筍看成堂下竹
落花都上燕巢泥。
忍聽林表杜鵑啼。
To the tune “Sands of the Washing Stream”
A clear aqua sky hangs over the tower on four sides, fragrant grasses below the building reach to the horizon. I urge you, my lord, not to climb the tower’s high stair.
New shoots have grown into bamboo before the hall, Fallen blossoms are in the mud that now forms swallow nests. How can one bear to hear the cuckoo’s call from the woods?
Re: 3.39
“Fallen blossoms are in the mud that now forms swallow nests.” So swallows like—nest in dirt?
“It is because the man is far away that the speaker wants to advise him, in line 3, not to ascend the tower and gaze afar, which would only increase his longing for home.” Oh, I assumed it was because the tower was derelict, if these new shoots were growing up before it. Maybe the hall and the tower are different buildings, one where the figure is and the other where the poetic speaker is.
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Swallow nests are built of mud, yes.
IDK if the hall is derelict; it seemed just to be time passing?
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3.40
髻子傷春慵更梳。
晚風庭院落梅初。
淡雲來往月疏疏。
玉鴨薰爐閒瑞腦
朱櫻斗帳掩流蘇。
通犀還解辟寒無。
To the tune “Sands of the Washing Stream”
My topknot suffers from spring, but I’m too weary to comb it again. Evening winds come to the courtyard, the plums blossoms first fall. As pale clouds come and go, the moon is barely visible.
In the jade duck censor, the camphor incense is sits unused, tassels hang from the cherry-red bed awning. Does antique rhinoceros horn still know how to dispel the cold?
Re: 3.40
“the camphor incense is sits unused,” come on guys, copy edit
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Chapter 14
“Thus wu connotes all concrete entities and phenomena in the material world and in human affairs, as well as abstract ideas and unreal and imaginary things. But the term yongwu ci has been used by poets and critics in a much narrower sense. It refers primarily to song lyrics on small objects in nature—such as flowers, birds, or insects—and never to landscapes and events in the poet’s life or in history.”
Stone Lake is a cool name
I really Nothing these two poems.
‘When Han Wudi (r. 140–87 b.c.e.) was a child, an aunt asked him how he felt about having his cousin A Jiao become his wife. He replied, “If I had A Jiao, I would keep her in a golden chamber.”’
“Let us now examine a song lyric from the late Song whose subject is not an object but that nevertheless is composed in the new aesthetic mode of yongwu ci.” I have almost no context to grasp what that mode consists of tho, so
man all the chapters of how to read chinese poetry are by different people, and this one sucks. all this writer has to tell me is what this type of poetry is, how it works. I couldn't define that for you at all, based on this chapter. 'it's a long ci poem about Objects. But here's a long ci poem in this specific style that isn't about an Object. ...??
'Even though it is not regarded as a bona fide yongwu ci, it is
clearly not cast in the traditional mode of direct self-expression but in the artistic
mode characterizing Jiang Kui’s “Dappled Shadows.” ' then w h y did we cover it in this chapter, I--
it was half this chapter and I still don't know what an yongwu ci actually is fuck this guy