Thanks for giving us more Chinese poetry, Lossy! Happy Friday!
Chinese Poetry
- Thread starter Lossëndil
- Start date
Thanks for giving us more Chinese poetry, Lossy! Happy Friday!
Lossëndil
Well-known member
Poem of Mulan
Long promised, and finally delivered! I'm so sorry for not posting this much earlier (which I have promised to do several times), but it's finally here.
Background
Poem of Mulan, also known as Song of Mulan, was a folk song back in the Northern Dynasties (380~580 AD). It was a very chaotic time in Chinese history, during which various kingdoms divided China and fought and merged and divided and fought again. Mulan may or may not have been based on a real person; nobody knows. This is the earliest account of her we have, and all later works related to Mulan (be they poems or plays) are ultimately based on this poem.
Translator's Note: Like I've mentioned before, Chinese can be very ambiguous in regards to the person/point of view. The poem seems to switch between the first and third person, though it is not always clear. I did my best, and ended up with a largely (if not all) first person narrative. I feel that the original was much more third-person, but this seemed to flow better. Forgive my inaccuracy.
One last thing, I'm not sure how well a job I did, so feel free to ask if you feel like you don't understand something or it isn't quite clear. If I've confused you, I've probably confused others as well.
As always, comments welcomed!
-------------
* “tsik-tsik,” supposedly the sound of weaving.
† “Khan” means king or emperor, usually used by minorities in the North.
§ The actual official she named in the poem was probably an assistant to the prime minister.
** i.e. a very swift horse (duh).
‡ More specifically, she was gluing little pieces of (probably fake) yellow flower to her face. This kind of make up was especially common during the Tang dynasty, but was apparently popular even in the Northern Dynasties.
Long promised, and finally delivered! I'm so sorry for not posting this much earlier (which I have promised to do several times), but it's finally here.
Background
Poem of Mulan, also known as Song of Mulan, was a folk song back in the Northern Dynasties (380~580 AD). It was a very chaotic time in Chinese history, during which various kingdoms divided China and fought and merged and divided and fought again. Mulan may or may not have been based on a real person; nobody knows. This is the earliest account of her we have, and all later works related to Mulan (be they poems or plays) are ultimately based on this poem.
Translator's Note: Like I've mentioned before, Chinese can be very ambiguous in regards to the person/point of view. The poem seems to switch between the first and third person, though it is not always clear. I did my best, and ended up with a largely (if not all) first person narrative. I feel that the original was much more third-person, but this seemed to flow better. Forgive my inaccuracy.
One last thing, I'm not sure how well a job I did, so feel free to ask if you feel like you don't understand something or it isn't quite clear. If I've confused you, I've probably confused others as well.
As always, comments welcomed!
Poem of Mulan
Tsik-tsik, and tsik-tsik again, one should hear,*
.....As Mulan weaves across from the door.
Yet one hears not the sounds of the loom and shuttle,
.....But only the sighs of a girl.
Of whom are you thinking?
.....For whom do you long?
I think not of a sweetheart;
.....And I long not for my love.
For last night I saw the army notice
.....Of the Khan drafting soldiers.†
There were twelve scrolls in all,
.....With my father’s name on every one.
My father has no eldest son,
.....And I have no older brother.
Would that I purchase a horse from the market,
.....And go in my father’s place!
From the eastern market I buy a handsome steed;
.....From the western market a saddle;
From the southern market I buy the bit and bridle;
.....From the northern market a whip.
At dawn I bid my parents farewell,
.....And by dusk I sleep beside the Yellow River.
I hear not the call of my parents,
.....But only the splashes of the swiftly flowing water.
At dawn we bid the Yellow River farewell,
.....By night we reach the Black Mountains.
I hear not the call of my parents,
.....But only the neighs of foreign horses within the hills.
We cross a thousand leagues to reach the battlefields;
.....We pass the mountains as if in flight.
The chilled air brings the sound of the striking hour;
.....The cold moonlight shines upon our armor.
Generals die by the hundreds;
.....And warriors return at the end of ten long years.
Upon our return we came before the Son of the Heavens,
.....The Son of the Heavens who sits within the well lit halls.
The emperor bestowed many honors,
.....And gave a thousand rewards.
The Khan asked what I would want,
.....And I would not be a palace official;§
But give me a hundred-league horse,**
.....That would bring me swiftly home.
My father and mother, hearing of their daughter’s return,
.....Helped each other to the edge of town in welcome.
My elder sister, hearing of her younger sister’s return,
.....Sat before the door and did her hair and makeup.
My little brother, hearing of his elder sister’s return,
.....Sharpened his knives to slaughter the lamb and pig.
I opened the eastern door of my room,
.....And sat upon my bed on the west side.
I took off my wartime robes,
.....And put on my clothes of old.
Before the window, I combed my bangs,
.....And in front of the mirror I put on makeup.‡
Then I left the house to meet my fellow soldiers,
.....And my companions were greatly surprised.
We have walked together for a dozen years,
.....And yet they knew not that Mulan was a girl!
The buck’s feet are restless;
.....The doe has narrow eyes.
But if both hares run side by side,
.....Who could tell the male from the female?
Tsik-tsik, and tsik-tsik again, one should hear,*
.....As Mulan weaves across from the door.
Yet one hears not the sounds of the loom and shuttle,
.....But only the sighs of a girl.
Of whom are you thinking?
.....For whom do you long?
I think not of a sweetheart;
.....And I long not for my love.
For last night I saw the army notice
.....Of the Khan drafting soldiers.†
There were twelve scrolls in all,
.....With my father’s name on every one.
My father has no eldest son,
.....And I have no older brother.
Would that I purchase a horse from the market,
.....And go in my father’s place!
From the eastern market I buy a handsome steed;
.....From the western market a saddle;
From the southern market I buy the bit and bridle;
.....From the northern market a whip.
At dawn I bid my parents farewell,
.....And by dusk I sleep beside the Yellow River.
I hear not the call of my parents,
.....But only the splashes of the swiftly flowing water.
At dawn we bid the Yellow River farewell,
.....By night we reach the Black Mountains.
I hear not the call of my parents,
.....But only the neighs of foreign horses within the hills.
We cross a thousand leagues to reach the battlefields;
.....We pass the mountains as if in flight.
The chilled air brings the sound of the striking hour;
.....The cold moonlight shines upon our armor.
Generals die by the hundreds;
.....And warriors return at the end of ten long years.
Upon our return we came before the Son of the Heavens,
.....The Son of the Heavens who sits within the well lit halls.
The emperor bestowed many honors,
.....And gave a thousand rewards.
The Khan asked what I would want,
.....And I would not be a palace official;§
But give me a hundred-league horse,**
.....That would bring me swiftly home.
My father and mother, hearing of their daughter’s return,
.....Helped each other to the edge of town in welcome.
My elder sister, hearing of her younger sister’s return,
.....Sat before the door and did her hair and makeup.
My little brother, hearing of his elder sister’s return,
.....Sharpened his knives to slaughter the lamb and pig.
I opened the eastern door of my room,
.....And sat upon my bed on the west side.
I took off my wartime robes,
.....And put on my clothes of old.
Before the window, I combed my bangs,
.....And in front of the mirror I put on makeup.‡
Then I left the house to meet my fellow soldiers,
.....And my companions were greatly surprised.
We have walked together for a dozen years,
.....And yet they knew not that Mulan was a girl!
The buck’s feet are restless;
.....The doe has narrow eyes.
But if both hares run side by side,
.....Who could tell the male from the female?
-------------
* “tsik-tsik,” supposedly the sound of weaving.
† “Khan” means king or emperor, usually used by minorities in the North.
§ The actual official she named in the poem was probably an assistant to the prime minister.
** i.e. a very swift horse (duh).
‡ More specifically, she was gluing little pieces of (probably fake) yellow flower to her face. This kind of make up was especially common during the Tang dynasty, but was apparently popular even in the Northern Dynasties.
Last edited:
Narnia_bookworm
New member
Spring Visit to Chien-Tang Lake:
Remnants of sun ribbon the river--
half and half, black river red.
Third night, ninth month lovely hour;
pearled dew, bent bow moon.
Translated by
Matthew Flannery
Remnants of sun ribbon the river--
half and half, black river red.
Third night, ninth month lovely hour;
pearled dew, bent bow moon.
Translated by
Matthew Flannery
Lossëndil
Well-known member
Hmm... I looked up the poem, and its Chinese title is actually something along the lines of "Evening River Murmurings" (as in murmuring a poem). "Spring Visit to Chien-Tang Lake" is in fact a different poem, though by the same poet, Bai Juyi (Tang Dynsaty).
I'm not sure whether the mistake is the translator's, but I'd guess it was whoever posted it online.
Zella: I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Since I'm not soo busy this summer, I'll probably be posting quite a few more poems over the enxt few months.
