Galleries and Translations > Recent Works / Poetry and Others > Lyrics to the folksong The Bamboo Branches 《竹枝詞》
Lyrics to the Folksong The Bamboo Branches
(《竹枝詞》)94 X 42 cm in Cursive Script (草書)
Translation
Original Chinese
English Translation
1. 瞿塘嘈嘈十二灘,
Qutang (瞿塘, 1) roars (嘈嘈) with a dozen (十二, 2) rapids (灘, 3) that flow fast,
2. 此中道路古來難.
Passages therein have always been difficult to pass.
3. 長恨人心不如水,
Long have I resented the human mind is not like that of water,
4. 等閒平地起波瀾.
Suddenly and without reason (等閒平地, 4), it creates all sorts of billows in short order.
(translated by KS Vincent POON, April 2023)
Remarks
(I)
This lyrical poem is the work of Liu Yuxi (劉禹錫, 772-842 AD)(5) of the Tang Dynasty. It was composed in 822 AD (6) when Liu was demoted from the capital to become the Governor of Kuizhou (夔州刺史) (7).
(II)
"Qutang" is renowned for its many turbulent rapids, especially during spring when the frost melts to generate torrents of water. As Li Bai (李白, 701-762 AD) once wrote in in his Jingzhou Song (《荊州歌》):
瞿塘五月誰敢過? (8)Who dares to cross Qutang during May?(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Yet, even with its fearsome ferocity, Qutang is still much more manageable and reasonable than humans.
_______________
(1) "瞿塘" refers to the "Qutang Gorge (瞿塘峡)", which resided in the province of Kuizhou (夔州). See《漢語大詞典》Vol.8 . Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.10863.
(2) "十二" refers to the twelve treacherous rapids in the Qutang Gorge. See 梁守中 《劉禹錫詩文選譯》. Chengdu: 巴蜀書社, 1990, p.40. However, some contend that it merely means "many". See 俞平伯《唐詩鑒賞辭典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2004, p.842.
(3) "灘" here is "the appearance of waters that flow rapidly (水奔流貌)". See 《康熙字典》. Shanghai: 上海書店, 1985, p.731.
(4) “等閒” here means “without reason (無端)”, as in Ouyang Xiu’s (歐陽修) 《南歌子∙鳳髻金泥帶》：“等閒妨了繡功夫, 笑問雙鴛鴦字, 怎生書?” See 《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.12297. “平地” here means “suddenly (忽然的)”, as in Cao Jingzhao’s (曹靜照) 《西江月詞》：“鶯兒對對話花梢, 平地把人驚覺.” See 《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.2669.
(5)《全唐詩》 compiled by 曹寅, Vol. 28. 欽定四庫全書薈要集部全唐詩, 康熙四十六年版, p.2.
(6) 梁守中, 《劉禹錫詩文選譯》. Chengdu: 巴蜀書社, 1990, p.36.
(7) 歐陽修, 《新唐書》Vol. 93, 劉禹錫列傳 . Beijing: 中華書局, 1975, pp.5128-5129.
(8) 《全唐詩》 compiled by 曹寅, Vol. 163. 欽定四庫全書薈要集部全唐詩, 康熙四十六年版, p.5.
Jump to: Poetry and Others
Jump to: Works in Cursive Script