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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:
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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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'.
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’.)
3.56
征鞍不見邯鄲路。
莫便匆匆歸去。
秋風蕭條何以度。
明窗小酌 暗燈清話 最好留連處。
相逢各自傷遲暮。
猶把新詞誦奇句。 鹽絮家風人所許。
如今憔悴
但餘雙淚 一似黃梅雨。
To the tune “Dark Jade Table”
The sojourning saddle cannot see the Handan Road. Don’t be in such a hurry to depart— so bleak, the autumn scene, how can it be endured?
Sip some wine by the bright window, chat gaily beside a low lamp, these are the best ways to prolong his stay.
When we met we regretted it was already late spring.
Still we recited marvelous lines to new tunes,
our family is known for its “salt and willow fluff” tradition! Today we are haggard, the remaining double lines of tears
resemble nothing but yellow-plum season drizzle.
Re: 3.56
“Salt and willow fluff” is an allusion to a charming story in Shi shuo xinyu about Xie An challenging his children to come up with poetic lines to describe a snowfall. “Salt flying through the air” and “willow fluff blown by the wind” are two of the metaphors they suggested. Thereafter, “salt and willow fluff ” was used to describe such families with literary traditions.” Cute
“yellow-plum season drizzle.” Not sure when that is, but I guess it’s just—February drizzle or whatever
Re: 3.56