Translation
By Li Qi (690-751) | 李頎 |
A Lute Song | 琴歌 |
Our host has gathered the wine— a joyous night tonight | 主人 有酒 歡今夕 |
Our guest, a “Guangling” virtuoso— we ask he play some tunes on his lute | 請奏 鳴琴 廣陵客 |
The moon reflects above the city while crows fly one-by-one | 月照 城頭 烏半飛 |
Desolate frost thousands of trees the wind goes through our clothes | 霜淒 萬樹 風入衣 |
A copper furnace— the candle splendidly shines in brilliance | 銅鑪 華燭 燭增輝 |
At first our guest, he plays the “Lu River” tune and then “The Concubine of Chu” | 初彈 淥水 後楚妃 |
And at first sound everything stops and all is calm | 一聲 已動 物皆靜 |
In all four corners not a word is spoken till stars thin out | 四座 無言 星欲稀 |
Here at the River Huai, pure— sent on orders over hundreds of miles | 清淮 奉使 千餘里 |
Do I dare resign among the mountains and clouds, and begin anew? | 敢告 雲山 從此始 |
Notes:
1. Last verse: from that moment, the poet started to contemplate about resigning. Cloud and mountain represent nature and a peaceful secluded life.
2. Listening to the music, enjoying some wine, reading poems, embraced in the nature, free from pressure, this is a life most ancient scholars crave for. However, with ambitions to serve the emperor/the general public, most ancient poets were in a dilemma.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李頎 | 李颀 | Li qí |
琴歌 | 琴歌 | Qín gē |
主人有酒歡今夕， | 主人有酒欢今夕， | Zhǔ rén yǒu jiǔ huān jīn xī, |
請奏鳴琴廣陵客。 | 请奏鸣琴广陵客。 | Qǐng zòu míng qín guǎng líng kè. |
月照城頭烏半飛， | 月照城头乌半飞， | Yuè zhào chéng tóu wū bàn fēi, |
霜淒萬樹風入衣； | 霜凄万树风入衣; | Shuāng qī wàn shù fēng rù yī; |
銅鑪華燭燭增輝， | 铜炉华烛烛增辉， | Tóng lú huá zhú zhú zēng huī, |
初彈淥水後楚妃。 | 初弹渌水后楚妃。 | Chū tán lù shuǐ hòu chǔ fēi. |
一聲已動物皆靜， | 一声已动物皆静， | Yì shēng yǐ dòng wù jiē jìng, |
四座無言星欲稀。 | 四座无言星欲稀。 | Sì zuò wú yán xīng yù xī. |
清淮奉使千餘里， | 清淮奉使千余里， | Qīng huái fèng shǐ qiān yú lǐ, |
敢告雲山從此始。 | 敢告云山从此始。 | Gǎn gào yún shān cóng cǐ shǐ. |
Literal Translation
李頎 | Plum Tall&Slim = Li Qi(690-751) | |
琴歌 | Lute song | |
主人有酒歡今夕， | Host/lord people have wine happy/joyous today night [Host/lord people=host], [today night= tonight] | |
請奏鳴琴廣陵客。 | Please/ask play chime lute Broad Tomb guest [play chime lute= play the lute], [Broad Tomb guest= Guangling San is a famous lute piece, so here refers to the lute virtuoso] | |
月照城頭烏半飛， | Moon shine/illuminate/reflects city top/end crows half fly [half fly= one after another] | |
霜淒萬樹風入衣； | Frost sadden/desolate/dreary/bitter-cold/sad wan(10-thousand) trees wind enter clothes | |
銅鑪華燭燭增輝， | Copper stove/furnace/fireplace brilliant/magificent/splendid candle/illuminate candle/shine add/increase bright/glory/brilliance | |
初彈淥水後楚妃。 | At-first play Lu River next/after Chu Imperial-concubine [Lu River, Chu Imperial-concubine= two lute songs] | |
一聲已動物皆靜， | One/first sound/tune already/stop/finish act/move things all quiet/still/calm | |
四座無言星欲稀。 | Four seats/base no words stars desire sparse/rare [no words = to remain silent, have nothing to say] | |
清淮奉使千餘里， | Clear/pure Huai receive(from superior) send-on-mission thousand extra/in-excess miles [Huai = Huai River，Li used to be an official in Xinxiang, He’nan Province, where Huai River was.] [thousand extra miles= faraway from home] | |
敢告雲山從此始。 | Dare tell cloud mountain from this begin [from this = from now on, henceforth] | |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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