Galleries and Translations > Recent Works / Poetry and Others > Lyrics to A Sprig of Plum Blossom 《 一剪梅 ∙ 紅藕香殘玉簟秋 》
Lyrics to A Sprig of Plum Blossom
(《 一剪梅 ∙ 紅藕香殘玉簟秋 》)
Translation
Original Chinese
English Translation
1. 紅藕香殘玉簟秋,
The red lotus (紅藕, 1) flower (香, 2) is withered, and the bamboo mat (玉簟, 3) is tattered (秋, 4),
2. 輕解羅裳, 獨上蘭舟.
Relaxing (輕解, 5) my silk outerwear, I board a small boat (蘭舟, 6) with no other.
3. 雲中誰寄錦書來?
Who (my husband) in Yunzhong (雲中, where Li's husband was obsessively looking for ancient relics of inscriptions, 7) will send me a love letter (錦書, 8)?
4. 雁字回時, 月滿西樓.
When the flock of geese (雁字, 9) returns, we shall enjoy the full moon at the West Pavilion (Xi Lou, 西樓) together.
5. 花自飄零水自流,
Flowers naturally wither as the waters naturally flow,
6. 一種相思, 兩處閒愁.
One mutual yearning (相思, 10), two places of inexplicable sorrow (閒愁, 11).
7. 此情無計可消除,
No way (無計) can these emotions be let go (消除),
8. 才下眉頭, 卻上心頭.
Just as they retire (下) from my eyebrows, they rise (上) to reach my very soul (心頭, 12).
(translated by KS Vincent POON, December 2024)
Remarks
(I)
Li Qingzhao (李清照, 1084 – 1151 AD) wrote this poem in 1103 AD (13), two years after her marriage to scholar and bureaucrat Zhao Mingcheng (趙明誠, 1081-1129 AD) (14). Zhao had always been obsessed with ancient bronze and stone inscriptions (金石) (15), and Li composed this poem to express her parting sorrows when he left home in search of these relics (16). Despite this, Li eventually helped Zhao finish his masterpiece Catalogue of Bronze and Stone Inscriptions (《金石錄》) before his death in 1129 AD (17).
(II)
"雲中" in this poem is often misinterpreted as "the distant white clouds (遠天白雲)", which is nonsensical and too literal. Judging from the circumstances surrounding Li and her husband Zhao, "雲中" here undoubtedly refers to the Yunzhong territory (雲中府), which is renowned for its stone relics, including the landmark Yungang Grottoes (雲崗石窟) (18). Zhao's ardent affection for ancient stone inscriptions likely led him to places like Yunzhong all by himself, and Li lamented that once Zhao was in such places, he would completely forget about her (19). Hence, she bemoaned, "Who in Yunzhong will send me a love letter (雲中誰寄錦書來)?" and hoped, upon his return, they could "enjoy the full moon at the West Pavilion together (月滿西樓)".
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(1) "紅藕" here means "red lotus (紅蓮)", as in 裴說《旅次衡陽》: "晩秋紅藕裏, 十宿寄漁船." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.717.
(2) "香" here serves as "a metaphor for flower (借指花)", as in 李賀《金銅仙人辭漢歌》: "畫欄桂樹懸秋香，三十六宮土花碧." Ibid., p.423.
(3) "玉簟" here means "bamboo mat (竹席)", as in 韋應物《馬明生遇神女歌》: "石壁千尋啓雙檢, 中有玉牀鋪玉簟." Ibid., p.518.
(4) "秋" here means "tattered (破敗/蕭條)", as in 胡曾《詠史詩∙鴻溝》: "虎倦龍疲白刃秋, 兩分天下指鴻溝." Ibid., p.34.
(5) "輕解" here means "relaxing one’s clothing (鬆開羅衣)", as in 張大復《梅花草堂筆談∙三境》: "我醉欲眠, 鼠奔鳥竄; 羅襦輕解, 鼻息如雷. 此一境界, 亦足賞心." See 張大復《梅花草堂筆談》Vol 3. Shanghai: 上海雜誌, 1935, p.49.
(6) "蘭舟" here is "an euphemism for a small boat (小舟的美稱)", as in 許渾《重遊練湖懷舊》詩: "西風渺渺月連天, 同醉蘭舟未十年." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.627.
(7) "雲中" refers to a geographical territory that is near today's Datong in the province of Shanxi (山西大同). See Remarks (II).
(8) "錦書" is "錦字書", which is "a love letter between husband and wife (夫妻的情書信)", as in 李白《久別離》: "況有錦字書, 開緘使人嗟." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, pp.1333 and 1335.
(9) "雁字" here means "a flock of geese (成列而飛的雁群)". The term originated from 白居易《江樓晩眺景物鮮奇吟玩成篇寄水部張員外》："風翻白浪花千片, 雁點靑天字一行." Ibid., p.804.
(10) "相思" here means "mutual yearning (彼此想念)", as in 蘇武《留別妻》: "生當復來歸, 死當長相思." Ibid., p.1147.
(11) "閒愁" here means "inexplicable sorrows (無端無謂的憂愁)", as in 張碧《惜花》: "一窖閒愁驅不去, 殷勤對爾酌金杯." Ibid., p.89.
(12) "心頭" here means "mind and soul (心間)", as in 朱淑真《秋夜聞雨》: "獨宿廣寒多少恨, 一時分付我心頭." Ibid., p.392.
(13) 徐培均, 《李清照集笺注》. Shanghai: 上海古籍出版社, 2002, p.22.
(14) 李清照,《金石錄後序》. Attached in the end of 趙明誠《金石錄》. 欽定四庫全書史部, 乾隆四十一年版, pp.1-6.
(15) 趙明誠,《金石錄》, 原序. Ibid., pp.1-3.
(16) As in footnote (15).
(17) Ibid..
(18) 脫脫,《宋史》Vol.90, 地理志, "雲中府". Taipei: 藝文印書館, 乾隆武英殿版, p.1106. Also 臧勵龢《中國古今地名大辭典》, “雲中府”. Taipei: 臺灣商務印書館, 1966, p.967.
(19) Li once remarked Zhao was "beyond the control of himself (不能自已)" whenever he encountered ancient relics. See footnote (14).
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