Year
Translation
By Li Bai (701-762) | 李白 |
Moon Above the Mountain Fortress | 關山月 |
A bright, clear moon rises over Mount Tian | 明月 出天山 |
Vast, boundless the space between cloud and sea | 蒼茫 雲海 間 |
Constant winds go on for thousands of miles | 長風 幾萬里 |
Blowing past the Gate of Jade | 吹度 玉門關 |
Hans march down the Baideng Pass | 漢下 白登道 |
While Tibetans have an eye on Qinghai Bay | 胡窺 青海灣 |
Always invasions, this place a battlezone | 由來 征 戰地 |
Men disappearing and not returning | 不見 有人還 |
Our garrisons watch the border’s appearance | 戍客 望邊色 |
Longing to return, the many bitter faces | 思歸 多苦顏 |
Their wives at home bearing it too, these nights | 高樓 當此夜 |
Breathing a sigh, unable to rest | 歎息 未應閑 |
Notes:
1. The subject “Guān shān yuè” is the tune name of Heng Chui Qu(橫吹曲) among Yuefu(folk-song-styled) tunes. Yuefu(樂府)in Chinese means Music Bureau. All these folk tunes/poetry styles were gathered by the Music Bureau in Han Dynasty and passed on from generation to generation. Thus, it’s named as Yuefu.
2. 5th verse (Hàn xià bái dēng dào): The founder of Han Dynasty(漢高祖) once led soldiers to battle Huns (a Nomadic tribe from Mongolia and Iran). He was trapped in Baideng Mountain.
3. 6th verse (Hú kuī qīng hǎi wān): The Qinghai area has a mix of Tibetans, Turks, Mongols, and Hans. Thus, many wars occurred in this place as the different groups fought over territory. It was eventually conquered by the Tibetan Empire.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李白 | 李白 | Li Bái |
關山月 | 关山月 | Guān shān yuè |
明月出天山， | 明月出天山， | Míng yuè chū tiān shān, |
蒼茫雲海間； | 苍茫云海间; | Cāng máng yún hǎi jiān; |
長風幾萬里， | 长风几万里， | Cháng fēng jǐ wàn lǐ, |
吹度玉門關。 | 吹度玉门关。 | Chuī dù yù ménguān. |
漢下白登道， | 汉下白登道， | Hàn xià bái dēng dào, |
胡窺青海灣。 | 胡窥青海湾。 | Hú kuī qīng hǎi wān. |
由來征戰地， | 由来征战地， | Yóu lái zhēng zhàn dì, |
不見有人還。 | 不见有人还。 | Bù jiàn yǒu rén huán. |
戍客望邊色， | 戍客望边色， | Shù kè wàng biān sè, |
思歸多苦顏； | 思归多苦颜; | Sī guī duō kǔ yán; |
高樓當此夜， | 高楼当此夜， | Gāo lóu dāng cǐ yè, |
歎息未應閑。 | 叹息未应闲。 | Tàn xí wèi yīng xián. |
Literal Translation
李白 | Plum White=Li Bai (701-762) |
關山月 | Mountain-pass mountain moon |
明月出天山， | Bright/clear moon out sky mountain [sky mountain=Tianshan Mountain, the modern name is Qilian Mountain, in Gansu Province. In Tang Dynasty, the area belonged to Tibet tribe.] |
蒼茫雲海間； | Dark-blue vague/vast cloud sea among [Dark-blue vague/vast= boundless] |
長風幾萬里， | Long wind several ten-thousand miles [ten-thousand=wan, a Chinese unit], [miles = li, Chinese mile, 1 li= |
吹度玉門關。 | Blow/puff pass jade gate mountain-pass [jade gate mountain-pass= the vital passage to Turkestan in the history. It was near Dunhuang, Gansu Province.] |
漢下白登道， | Han-dynasty down white climb passage/road [white climb passage/road = Baideng Mountain, in Datong, Shanxi Province] |
胡窺青海灣。 | Beard covet/peep green sea bay [Beard= Hu, Tibet tribe’s ancient name] [green sea = Qinghai, a lake’s name in Xining, Qinghai Province] |
由來征戰地， | From come attack battle zone/place [From come=always, at all times] |
不見有人還。 | No see there-is/have people return |
戍客望邊色， | Garrison guest watch border appearance [Garrison guest= garrison] |
思歸多苦顏； | Think/consider return many bitter look/face |
高樓當此夜， | High building same/just-at this night [High building= referred to the wives of the soldiers, staying at home] |
歎息未應閑。 | Sigh breath not-yet should stop/idle |
[Sigh breath= sigh] | |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
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