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The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.57 - 3.66
The FINAL instalment of Li Qingzhao’s 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 3.57 through 3.66, 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’.)
3.58
揉破黃金萬點輕。
剪成碧玉葉層層。
風度精神如彥輔
太鮮明。
梅蕊重重何俗甚
丁香千結苦粗生。
熏透愁人千里夢
卻無情。
To the tune “Wildflower Seeds”
Yellow gold, as if torn apart, into myriad dots of blossoms. Green jade, shaped with scissors, the multiple layers of leaves. In style and spirit like Yanfu,
so fresh and bright!
Plum blossoms, row after row, how vulgar they are! The thousand-petal lilac is crude by comparison. But your perfume wakes the dreamer from her distant journey home—
how could you be so heartless!
Re: 3.58
“thousand-petal lilac” what is that, sounds cool
The end turn is a bit abrupt
Re: 3.58
praising the osmanthus for its gold petals and jade leaves and comparing them to yanfu (who was a dude that lived about eight to nine hundred years before her time xD he was particularly praised for being modest, pure and very frank and lively) but then a quick turnaround here, calling them both too vivid, too bright (太鮮明). and then the mood plunges even further when she starts on the plum blossoms and lilacs lmao, then turns right around and accuses the osmanthus'
fragrancepungency for waking her from her dreams of a place (or someone?) she misses. as if you can smell things in your sleep!Re: 3.58