The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.33 - 3.40

[x_los]

The 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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Comments

3.38

[x_los]

怨王孫

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

[x_los]

“Grasses are green before the steps,” Chinese poetry does these strange-to-me images of verdant decay sometimes, of abandonment as a ‘back to nature’ thing rather than desolation

Man these geese with their messages are fuckin everywhere

“People full of feeling have always been full of distress.” eesh

Re: 3.38

[superborb]

Baike notes the pear blossoms are additionally meaningful because they're a homophone for 'leave / parting'.