The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.49 - 3.56

[x_los]

The seventh 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 3.49 through 3.56, 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)

Recall from the introduction that everything after 3.35 is relatively likely to be misattributed. This is especially true after 3.45: these may be written deliberately 'in Li Qingzhao's style'. 

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Comments

Re: 3.50

[x_los]

“the long night perfectly matches the persisting morning.” How so? And why would the morning be the thing persisting during dawn, when these meet?

“concentrating on the autumn time (when the yin and yang forces of day and night were said to be balanced)” huh

“hatpins and tablets fill the hall.” Signifiers of office?

The movement between subjects here in stanza 1 is very unclear, and between stanzas

“pine-tree green,” his clothes, I guess

Re: 3.50

[superborb]

The word that is translated to persisting is 'forever, always, persisting.' Baike's gloss says that it's because it's divided evenly between the two at the autumn equinox.

Yes, Baike says the hatpins and tablets are used by the officials.

Baike says the pine trees are green year round, making it a suitable birthday wish.