A Chanted Poem Upon a River
(《 江上吟 》)
Translation
Original Chinese
English Translation
1. 木蘭之枻沙棠舟,
The fragrant Mulan Magnolia (木蘭, 1) planks rest on two sides (枻, 2) of a Shatang wood (沙棠, 3) boat,
2. 玉簫金管坐兩頭.
All the luxurious wind instruments (玉簫金管, 4) lie on the bow and stern afloat.
3. 美酒尊中置千斛,
Jars hold thousands of cups (千斛, 5) of fantastic wines,
4. 載妓隨波任去留.
Together with the ladies of Song and Dance (妓, 6), I follow the waves to wherever the boat finds.
5. 仙人有待乘黃鶴,
While the Transcended (仙人, 7) still rely (待, 8) on riding a yellow crane (黃鶴, 9) to soar,
6. 海客無心隨白鷗.
I, wandering all over the world (海客, 10), have no intention of following the ivory gulls (白鷗) at all.
7. 屈平辭賦懸日月,
Qu Ping's (屈平, 11) Chu Verses (辭賦, 12) are still the brilliant suns and moons hanging high in the sky,
8. 楚王臺榭空山丘.
While the Head of Chu's (楚王) mighty terraces and pavilions (臺榭, 13) had long reduced to a void (空, 14) on the hillside.
9. 興酣落筆搖五嶽,
Overjoyed (興, 15) with drunkness (酣, 16), the Five Great Mountains (五嶽, 17) tremble as I begin to write,
10. 詩成笑傲凌滄洲.
With a poem composed, my contemptuous amusement (笑傲, 18) far exceeds reclusive delight (滄洲, 19).
11. 功名富貴若長在,
If fame and riches can stay forever set,
12. 漢水亦應西北流.
Then the Han River (漢水, 20) shall flow back to the Northwest.
(translated by KS Vincent POON, November 2024)
Remarks
(I)
This poem was composed by Li Bai (李白, 701-762 AD), one of the most influential poets in Chinese history. According to some, it was composed around 759 AD (21), two years after his exile from the capital (22).
(II)
"滄洲" in the poem requires clarification. "滄洲" here is not a geographical location or "a great blue sea (滄海)" (23), as some suggested. Rather, it is a metaphor for "a place of reclusive delight (避世歸隱之地)".
A poet of Li Ba's era, Wu Rong (吳融, 850-903 AD), whose hometown was Yue Prefecture's Shanyi (越州山陰) (24), once wrote:
I. 本是滄洲把釣人, 無端三署接清塵.(25)I was originally a fisherman in a place of reclusive delight, so I have no intention of visiting the ministries to approach any dignitaries.(translated by KS Vincent Poon)II. 我家方旅食, 故國在滄洲. (26)My family indeed resides here as visitors now, but my hometown resides at a place of reclusive delight.(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Similar usage can also be observed throughout prominent Tang and Song literature, which include:
I. (唐) 杜甫《曲江對酒》: "吏情更覺滄洲遠, 老大悲傷未拂衣." (27)II. (宋) 陸游《訴衷情∙當年萬里覓封侯》: "心在天山, 身老滄洲." (28)
Thus, Li's "滄洲" is clearly a metaphor, not a specific fixed place on Earth.
As an addendum, "滄洲" can also be written as "滄州", such as:
I. (唐) 劉長卿《送鄭說之歙州謁薛侍郎》: "老得滄州趣." (29)II. (唐) 方干《白艾原客》: "滄州幾年隱." (30)III. (唐) 李白《贈盧徵君昆弟》: "滄州即此地, 觀化遊無窮." (31)
_____________________
(1) "木蘭" here refers to "a type of fragrant wood (香木名)". See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.682.
(2) "枻" here refers to the "wooden planks on the two sides of a boat (船舷)", as in《楚辭∙九歌∙湘君》: "桂櫂兮蘭枻, 斲冰兮積雪." 王逸注： "枻, 船旁板也." Ibid., p.890.
(3) "沙棠" is "a type of tree whose wood can be used to build boats, and its fruit can be consumed (木名, 木材可造船, 果實可食)". Ibid., p.958.
(4) "玉簫金管" here serves as "a general term for luxurious wind instruments (泛指雕飾華美的管樂器)". Ibid., p.520.
(5) "斛" here is "a unit of volume measure (量詞)". Ibid., p.338.
(6) "妓" here refers to "the ladies of Song and Dance (歌舞女藝人)", as in 韓愈《順宗實錄二》: "癸酉, 出後宮幷教坊女妓六百人." Ibid., p.295.
(7) "仙人" are "transcended persons who have become immortal and possess mystical powers (神話傳說中長生不老、有種種神通的人)". Ibid., p.682.
(8) "待" here means "rely (依靠)", as in《商君書∙農戰》: "國待農戰而安, 主待農戰而尊." See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.879.
(9) The "yellow crane (黃鶴)" here alludes to a legend that Prince Jin (太子晉) of the Zhou Dynasty transcended to the skies by riding a crane. See 劉向,《列仙傳》Vol.1, 王子喬. 欽定四庫全書子部十二, 乾隆四十六年版, p.14b.
(10) "海客" here means "wanderers who roam all over the world (浪跡四海者)", as in 張固《幽閑鼓吹》: "丞相牛僧孺應舉時, 知於頔相奇俊, 特詣襄陽求知. 住數日, 兩見, 以海客遇之, 牛公怒而去." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1224.
(11) "Qu Ping (屈平)" is Qu Yuan (屈原, 340 BC – 278 BC), a renowned literati and statesman during the Warring States period. See 司馬遷《史記》Vol.84, 屈原賈生列傳. Hong Kong: 廣智書局, 出版年份缺, p.47.
(12) "辭賦" here refer to the "Chu Verses (楚辭)", which is a literary form first introduced by Qu Yuan (屈原). See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.506.
(13) "臺榭" here means "terraces (臺) and pavilions (榭)", as in《書∙泰誓上》："惟宮室臺榭, 陂池侈服, 以殘害於爾萬姓." 孔穎達疏引李巡曰："臺, 積土爲之, 所以觀望也. 臺上有屋謂之榭." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.799.
(14) "空" here means "void (沒有)", as in 上官儀《從駕閭山詠馬》: "桂香塵處減, 練影月前空." See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.2910.
(15) "興" here means "joy (興致)", as in《晉書∙王徽之傳》："乘興而來, 興盡便返." Ibid., p.131.
(16) "酣" here means "drunk (醉)", as in 白居易《秦中吟∙輕肥》："食飽心自若, 酒酣氣益振." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1396.
(17) "五嶽" here refers to the "Five Great Mountains in China (五大名山的總稱)", which may include "Mount Tai of Shandong (泰山)", "Mount Hua of Shaanxi (華山)", "Mount Song of Henan (嵩山)", "Mount Heng of Shanxi (恆山)", and "Mount Heng of Hunan (衡山)". Ibid., p.390.
(18) "笑傲" here means "contemptuous amusement (戲謔不敬)", as in《詩∙邶風∙終風》: "謔浪笑敖, 中心是悼." 毛傳: "言戲謔不敬." Ibid., p.1110.
(19) "滄洲" here refers to "a place of reclusive delight (避世歸隱之地)". See Remarks (II).
(20) "漢水" refers to the Han River that flows southeast from today's Shaanxi province (陕西省) towards the Yangtze River (長江). See 酈道元《水經注》Vol.20 . Shanghai: 中華書局, 1936, pp.1-16.
(21) 郁賢皓,《李白大辭典》. Nanning: 廣西教育出版社, 1995, p.441.
(22) Ibid., p.530.
(23) 詹鍈,《李白全集校注匯釋集評》. Tianjin: 百花文藝出版社, 1996, p.993.
(24) 歐陽修,《新唐書》Vol.203, 呉融傳. Beijing: 中華書局, 1975, p.5788.
(25) 曹寅,《全唐詩》Vol.686. 欽定四庫全書薈要集部全唐詩, 康熙四十六年版, p.8a.
(26) Ibid., Vol.684, p.8b.
(27) Ibid., Vol.225, p.8b.
(28) 唐圭璋,《全宋詞》Vol.3. Beijing: 中華書局, 1999, p.2065.
(29) 曹寅,《全唐詩》Vol.148. Beijing: 中華書局, 1979, p.1525.
(30) Ibid., Vol.648, p.7445.
(31) Ibid., Vol.168, p.1739.
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