Year
Qu Yuan (343-278 B.C)
With a woman he travels, along the rivers nine,
The wind is rushing, the water scatters in waves;
They ride a chariot, covered in water lilies,
Steering a pair of dragons, dragons without horns.
They climb a greater river, gazing all around,
Their hearts fly about, above the majestic lake;
The sun is setting sadly, forgetting to return,
Seeing the furthest riverbank, awakened is her heart.
Below, the dragon hall, a room of fish scales;
Outside, a purple seashell watchtower, by the pearl palace.
Carrying only her spirit, in the water’s midst,
Riding a white sea turtle, chasing a golden fish;
With a woman he travels, along the river’s bank,
Drifting ’til the end, the two will then descend;
They will join their hands, and move to the east,
He’ll see off the beauty, along the southern bank,
A torrent of waves to greet her, and bring my lovely girl.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
九歌河伯 | 九歌河伯 | jiǔ gē hé bó |
與女遊兮九河， | 与女游兮九河， | yǔ nǚ yóu xī jiǔ hé ， |
沖風起兮水揚波； | 冲风起兮水扬波； | chōng fēng qǐ xī shuǐ yáng bō ; |
乘水車兮荷蓋， | 乘水车兮荷盖， | chéng shuǐ chē xī hé gài ， |
駕兩龍兮驂螭； | 驾两龙兮骖螭； | jià liǎng lóng xī cān chī ; |
登昆侖兮四望， | 登昆仑兮四望， | dēng kūn lún xī sì wàng ， |
心飛揚兮浩蕩； | 心飞扬兮浩荡； | xīn fēi yáng xī hào dàng ; |
日將暮兮悵忘歸， | 日将暮兮怅忘归， | rì jiāng mù xī chàng wàng guī ， |
惟極浦兮寤懷； | 惟极浦兮寤怀； | wéi jí pǔ xī wù huái ; |
魚鱗屋兮龍堂， | 鱼鳞屋兮龙堂， | yú lín wū xī lóng táng ， |
紫貝闕兮珠宮； | 紫贝阙兮珠宫； | zǐ bèi què xī zhū gōng ; |
靈何惟兮水中； | 灵何惟兮水中； | líng hé wéi xī shuǐ zhōng ; |
乘白黿兮逐文魚， | 乘白鼋兮逐文鱼， | chéng bái yuán xī zhú wén yú ， |
與女遊兮河之渚； | 与女游兮河之渚； | yǔ nǚ yóu xī hé zhī zhǔ ; |
流澌紛兮將來下； | 流澌纷兮将来下； | liú sī fēn xī jiāng lái xià ; |
子交手兮東行， | 子交手兮东行， | zǐ jiāo shǒu xī dōng xíng ， |
送美人兮南浦； | 送美人兮南浦； | sòng měi rén xī nán pǔ ; |
波滔滔兮來迎， | 波滔滔兮来迎， | bō tāo tāo xī lái yíng ， |
魚鱗鱗兮媵予。 | 鱼鳞鳞兮媵予。 | yú lín lín xī yìng yú。 |
Translation Notes
This song is about the festival in honor of Hebo, the god of the Yellow River, where the Chu people perform erotic rituals go amuse the god, who made love with water goddesses. Chu State people worshipped Hebo as just a river god until the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.), when Chu’s borders reached the Yellow River, then he became the god of the Yellow River.
九歌河伯 | Nine Songs River Count [River Count = Hebo, the name of the god of the Yellow River] |
與女遊兮九河， | With woman travel ah nine rivers, |
沖風起兮水揚波； | Pour wind rise ah water scatters waves; |
乘水車兮荷蓋， | Ride water chariot ah lotus canopy, |
駕兩龍兮驂螭； | Steers two dragons ah flank dragon-without-horns; |
登昆侖兮四望， | Climbs elder-brother logical-order ah all-around gazes, |
心飛揚兮浩蕩； | Heart flies scatters ah great pond; [Flies scatters = flies upward] [Great pond = vast and mighty (of a river)] |
日將暮兮悵忘歸， | Sun will sunset ah regretful forget return, |
惟極浦兮寤懷； | But furthest riverbank ah awake-from-sleep bosom; |
魚鱗屋兮龍堂， | Fish fish-scale room ah dragon hall, [Fish fish-scale = fish scales] |
紫貝闕兮珠宮； | Purple seashell watchtower ah pearl palace; |
靈何惟兮水中； | Spirit carry only ah water midst; |
乘白黿兮逐文魚， | Ride white sea-turtle ah chase gentle/culture fish, |
與女遊兮河之渚； | With woman wander ah river ’s small-sand-bank; |
流澌紛兮將來下； | Flow drain-dry tangle ah will come beneath; [Will come = in the future] |
子交手兮東行， | Seed mix hand ah eastward go, [Mix hand = fight hand-to-hand] |
送美人兮南浦； | See-off beautiful woman ah southern bank-of-river; |
波滔滔兮來迎， | Waves torrent torrent ah come greet, [Torrent torrent = torrential] |
魚鱗鱗兮媵予。 | Fish fish-scales fish-scales ah concubine my. |
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