5 replies to this topic

[Pebble]

滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄。
是非成败转头空。青山依旧在，几度夕阳红。
白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风。
一壶浊酒喜相逢。古今多少事，都付笑谈中。

Hi all,

I always like the opening poem of the novel very much ....

It's an attempt by the author to try to summarized his feeling about this historical era
and the story of the characters that played a role in it . (whether they are hero or villain)

There appear to be a message that the author want to convey to the reader.
I just like to hear opinion about what did he try to say, and if there is a message, is it still relevant today !?

And it would be nice if someone could post an English translation of poem.

Cheers

[Shogun 144]

The beginning song is what you are referring to, right? Well here is the translation from the internet edition of the novel:

O so vast, O so mighty,
The Great River rolls to sea,
Flowers do waves thrash,
Heroes do sands smash,
When all the dreams drain,
Same are loss and gain.

Green mountains remain,
Under pink sunsets,
Hoary fishers and woodcutters,
Along the banks, find calm water,
In autumn moon or in spring wind,
By the wine jars, fill porcelain.

Discuss talk and tale,
Only laugh and gale...

[General_Zhaoyun]

滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄。
是非成败转头空。青山依旧在，几度夕阳红。
白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风。
一壶浊酒喜相逢。古今多少事，都付笑谈中。

Hi all,

I always like the opening poem of the novel very much ....

It's an attempt by the author to try to summarized his feeling about this historical era
and the story of the characters that played a role in it . (whether they are hero or villain)

There appear to be a message that the author want to convey to the reader.
I just like to hear opinion about what did he try to say, and if there is a message, is it still relevant today !?

And it would be nice if someone could post an English translation of poem.

Cheers

This is the poetry written by Ming poet Yang Shen 杨慎 (1488～1559). It was added into Romance of 3 kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi) by Luo Guanzhong.

[popcorn]

Well here is another version from the english subtitles of the song

On and on the rolls of Yangtse River, charging eastward,
Like heroes, hillows upon hillows they contend,
All falls void gain or loss, right or wrong,
Everlasting are the green hills only,
Times and again, the sun's westering lonely,
Fishermen and woodsmen still comb the beach, hair gray,
Watching autumn moon and spring winds consistently array,
Life's happiness lies a wine jar, a good company,
Doesn't many precedent events
still hang on the lips of people present

[黄俊卿]

很有出世的感觉
若不是经历人生的大起大落
杨慎的词也很难达到这样的境界吧

[chinesetolearn.com]

This is my translation, also welcome to my website to listen this song and other classic, poetic Chinese poems too
http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=695

• 滚滚长江东逝水
  Gun3 gun3 chang2 jiang1 dong1 shi4 shui3
  
• Roll and roll the charging eastward Yangtse River water

• 滚滚长江东逝水
  
• gun3 gun3 chang2 jiang1 dong1 shi4 shui3
  
• Roll and roll the charging eastward Yangtse River water
  
• 浪花淘尽英雄
  
• lang4 hua1 tao1 jin4 ying1 xiong2
  
• The waves completely smash heroes
  
• 是非成败转头空
  
• shi4 fei1 cheng2 bai4 zhuan3 tou2 kong1
  
• Turns around all the right and rong, success and failure become void
  
• 青山依旧在
  
• qing1 shan1 yi1 jiu4 zai4
  
• The blue moutain remains like old times
  
• 几度夕阳红
  
• ji3 du4 xi4 yang2 hong2
  
• How many times when sunset turns red
  
• 白发渔樵江楮上
  
• bai2 fa3 yu2 qiao2 shang1 zhu3 shang4
  
• Gray haired fishermen and woodsmen are still on the beach, near the mulberry trees
  
• 惯看秋月春风
  
• guan4 kan4 qiu1 yue4 chun1 feng1
  
• Get used to see the autumn moon and spring wind
  
• 一壶浊酒喜相逢
  
• yi4 hu2 zhuo2 jiu3 xi3 xiang1 feng2
  
• Drink one jar of unfiltered wine to celebrate the joy of reunion
  
• 古今多少事
  
• gu3 jin1 duo2 shao3 shi4
  
• How many things of ancient time and the present time
  
• 都付笑谈中
  
• du1 fu4 xiao4 tan2 zhong1
  
• All come into the laughter and discussion

Translated by Shu