[zheng mu]

KeJia Sista, on Apr 4 2005, 08:52 PM, said:

Poems Are Written In Various Shapes
their messages clear,
But these are songs of love
Diaphanous and free
Remembering flowers when days darken,
weaving moonlight into nights obscurities,
Knowing that drooping willows
Wake in the morning to dance.
During years I have guarded these songs,
Precious, as white jade is precious.
Secretly cherished,
They are yours now..
They were always yours and mine..
But now I am fragile,
I cannot protect them.
Keep them for your children.
They will learn from them
To what height love ascends.

Xue Tao /Hsueh T'ao /Sie Thao /Hung-tu (768-831)
The most famous woman poet of the Tang Dynasty

Absolutely wonderful!!

[jlaporte]

General_Zhaoyun, on Jul 9 2004, 05:52 AM, said:

I'll post a few poems when I reach home. My book on Tang poems is at home and I haven't studied them for a long time Uhmm... no idea how to translate them into English, but I'll try.

While you look, try to open the attachment

.[attachment=384:attachment]

[Outofin]

I love 李白，辛弃疾，毛泽东。I love almost every poem from them.

Beside them, of course there are many many great pieces, like this one:
天苍苍，野茫茫，风吹草低见牛羊。

This post has been edited by Outofin: 02 September 2005 - 10:31 AM

[candy_ling2002]

红酥手，黄滕酒，满城春色宫墙柳。东风恶，欢情薄。一杯愁绪，几年离索。错！错！错！

春如旧，人空瘦，泪痕红溢鲛绡透，桃花落，闲池阁。山盟虽在，锦书难托。莫！莫！莫！
　　陆游与表妹唐婉本恩爱夫妻，感情甚笃。但因陆母不喜欢唐婉，终被迫休离。后二人各自婚娶。十年后的一个春日，陆游独游沈园与唐婉邂逅。唐婉以酒肴款待，陆游感伤万分，惆怅不已，随即在园壁上题下此词，抒发了自己内心的眷恋相思之情和无尽的追悔悲愤。唐婉读后百感交集，含泪和词一首：

　　世情薄，人情恶，雨送黄昏花易落。晓风干，泪痕残，欲笺心事，独语斜栏。难、难、难。 人成各，今非昨，病浑常似秋千索。角声寒，夜阑珊，怕人寻问，咽泪装欢。瞒、瞒、瞒。

　　此后郁郁寡欢，怏怏而卒。二词绝望凄楚，缠绵悱恻，感人至深，荡气回肠，催人泪下，唐词尤甚。四十年后，陆游沈园重游，含泪写下《沈园》，以纪念唐婉：
城上斜阳画角哀，沈园非复旧池台， 伤心桥下春波绿，曾是惊鸿照影来。 梦断香消四十年，沈园柳老不吹绵。 此身行作稽山土，犹吊遗踪一泫然。

[candy_ling2002]

苏轼《江城子》
乙卯正月二十日夜记梦
十年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。纵使相逢应不识，尘满面，鬓如霜。　　夜来幽梦忽还乡，小轩窗，正梳妆。相顾无言，唯有泪千行。料得年年断肠处，明月夜，短松岗。

[Craig]

Cold Mountain is a house
Without beams or walls
The six doors left and right are open
The Hall is blue sky
The rooms are vacant and vague
The east wall beats on the west wall
At the center not one single thing

Borrowers don't bother me
In the cold I build a fire
When hungry I boil greens
I've got no use for the Kulak
With his barn and pasture
He sets up a prison for himself
Once in he can't get out
Think it over
It could happen to you

Han Shan

[ChiangAP]

李白
怨情
美人捲珠簾，深坐顰蛾眉。
但見淚痕濕，不知心恨誰?




btw, copyright does not apply to work of arts over 100 years old.

[MING-LOYALIST]

MengTzu, on Apr 26 2005, 08:51 AM, said:

Or the the river-crossing oar,
[With which Ju Di swore] to passionately devour the Hu and Jie;

(During Jinn, Ju Di was crossing the river on a boat and hit the water with the oar as a sign of an oath, and swore that he will defeat the Hu and Jie -- "barbarians." I think these "barbarians" had invaded into the central plains, I'm not familiar with this part of history, so anyone please correct me.)

Its actually Zu Di <祖狄>not sure if Di is the correct character.
After western Jin fell apart and barbarians took control of the north.(start of age of fragment)
After Liu yuan(a XiongNu) set up Han dynasty and Shi Le(a Jie) set up later zhao dynasty controlling central plains.
Around 330AD. In south China Zu Di organised some refugees into a small force and crossed the YangZe river. Halfway across he hit the water with his oar and yelled that" Until I get rid of all barbarians in the central plains I will not come back across this river." strenghning his men's determination.

This post has been edited by MING-LOYALIST: 02 October 2005 - 09:31 AM

[Nerva]

This is mine:




Here he is, my good old friend!
He's at Yellow Crane Terrace on a western departure.
And--we're saying goodbye, goodbye.
He's in a cloud of third-month blossoms.
He's off downstream to Yang-chou.
That shadow there is his lonely sail.
Now there's nothing left of it.
All the blue is empty now.
All you can see is that long, long river.
It flows to the edge of the sky.

This post has been edited by Nerva: 17 October 2005 - 12:53 AM

[fcharton]

One by my favourite modern chinese poet (just hoping it gives ideas to others to post more of the New Moon School... hint, hint...).


Perhaps - Wen Yiduo

也許你真是哭得太累，
也許，也許你該睡一睡，
那麼叫夜鷹不要咳嗽，
蛙不要號，蝙蝠不要飛。

不許陽光撥你的眼廉，
不許清風刷上你的眉，
無論誰都不能驚醒你，
撐一傘松蔭庇護你睡。

也許你聽著蚯蚓翻泥，
聽這小草的根鬚吸水，
也許你聽著這般音樂，
比那咒罵的人聲更美。

那麼你先把眼皮閉緊，
我就讓你睡，我讓你睡，
我把黃土輕輕蓋著你，
我叫紙錢兒緩緩的飛。


And an English translation (found at http://www.cipherjou.../html/sze.html), but seriouly, you have got to read it (aloud) in chinese...

Perhaps you have wept and wept, and can weep no more.
Perhaps. Perhaps you ought to sleep a bit;
then don’t let the night hawk cough, the frogs
croak, or the bats fly.

Don’t let the sunlight open the curtain onto your eyes.
Don’t let a cool breeze brush your eyebrows.
Ah, no one will be able to startle you awake:
I will open an umbrella of dark pines to shelter your sleep.

Perhaps you hear earthworms digging in the mud,
or listen to the root hairs of small grasses sucking up water.
Perhaps this music you are listening to is lovelier
than the swearing and cursing noises of men.

Then close your eyelids, and shut them tight.
I will let you sleep, I will let you sleep.
I will cover you lightly, lightly with yellow earth.
I will slowly, slowly let the ashes of paper money fly.

[urofpersia]

Hmm... somewhat morbid... I like.

Thanks for sharing

[jlaporte]

Absolutely SUPER!

[fcharton]

More of the same...

One dedicated to our ABC friends

Laundry song - Wen Yiduo (sorry, I don't have the chinese text...)

(One shirt, two shirts, three shirts,)
Shirts must be washed clean
(Four shirts, five shirts, six shirts,)
Shirts must be ironed smooth.

I can clean handkerchiefs soaked with tears
I can whiten sweaters black with crime
Grease of greed, dirt of desire
And all the filthy things you have at home.
Give them to me to wash, give them to me.

Money smells so, blood smells so
Those dirty things you cannot leave unwashed
Even cleaned laundry will be soiled again.
How can you, men of patience, ignore it?
Wash for them, wash for them!

You Americans say the laundry business is too base
Are Chinamen alone willing to stoop so low?
Yet your preacher tells me
Christ’s father was once a carpenter.
Don’t you believe it? Don’t you believe it?

Soap and plain water can’t make big splashes
Washing clothes is less fine than building battleships
I too ask what splendid future lies in
Sweating blood for other’s sweat?
Would you Americans do it? Would you do it?

Year comes, year goes, the homesick tear falls
Midnight, late night, the laundry lamp glows
Don’t you Americans worry that the job is vile
Just find where it is not clean or smooth, and
Call the Chinaman, call the Chinaman.

I can clean handkerchiefs soaked with tears
I can whiten sweaters black with crime,
Grease of greed, dirt of desire
And all the filthy things you have at home.



*******
And another very famous one...


闻一多 - 死水

这是一沟绝望的死水，
清风吹不起半点漪沦。
不如多扔些破铜烂铁，
索性泼你的剩菜残羹。

也许铜的要绿成翡翠，
铁罐上锈出几瓣桃花；
在让油腻织一层罗绮，
微菌给他蒸出些云霞。

让死水酵成一沟绿酒，
飘满了珍珠似的白沫；
小珠们笑声变成大珠，
又被偷酒的花蚊咬破。

那么一沟绝望的死水，
也就夸的上几分鲜明。
如果青蛙奈不住寂寞，
又算死水叫出了歌声。

这是一沟绝望的死水，
这里断不是美的所在，
不如还给丑恶来开垦，
看他造出个什么世界。


Dead Water

This is a ditch of desperate dead water,
Where wind can blow but raise no ripples.
Best just to throw in more scraps of copper and iron,
Might as well pour in your leftovers of cold porridge.

Perhaps the copper will green into emerald,
Tin cans rusting out stalks of peach blossoms;
Then let the grease weave up a sheet of silk,
While bacteria steam it into the clouds of dawn.

Let the dead water ferment into a ditch of green wine,
Pearl-like whitecaps floating all over;
The laughter of little pearls will turn into large pearls,
Before being bit burst by mosquitoes stealing wine.

So this ditch of desperate dead water
Can just boast of a few degrees of brightness.
And if the frogs can't bear the solitude,
Then just say the dead water will cry out a song.

This is a ditch of desperate dead water,
Which is certainly not where beauty resides,
Best just to give it up for ugliness to cultivate,
And see what kind of world he can turn it into.

[shunyadragon]

My studies in the ancient poetry relate specifically to the study of jade and jade culture. The following is one of my favorites.

芃蘭 pénlán: Sparrow’s Ladle The Sparrow’s Ladle is a Milkweed species that has pods shaped like the prong, a claw or canine tooth-shaped pendant, 佩觽 pèixī. The leaves of the Sparrow’s Ladle are often curled into a shape resembling the 韘shè, the archer’s thumb ring. This poem has distinct sarcastic tone about the overstatement of the claims of men during courtship. The prong is worn by men when they come of marriageable age. The archer’s thumb ring is a symbol of status and achievement of the skills of archery. The 佩韘pèishè is an ornate pendent carved in the style of the archer’s thumb ring. It’s worn as a pendent and not on the thumb. Using a reference to a pendent instead of a thumb ring may be an added touch of sarcasm, because the archer’s thumb ring pendent that is too ornate to be useful as a thumb ring can only be worn as a pendent. These articles will be made of fine jade, jade-like stone, ivory or bone depending on the status of the person in society.

芃蘭之支， The Sparrow’s Ladle is propped up,
péng lán zhī zhī，
童子佩觽。 the lad wears a fine prong.
tóng zĭ pèixī。
雖則佩觽， Despite this handsome prong,
suī zé pèixī，
能不我知。 he cannot know me.
néng bù wŏ zhī。
容兮遂兮， He desires to satisfy,
róng xī suí xī，
垂带悸兮。 but his girdle swings low.
chuí dài jì xī。


芃蘭之葉， Like the Sparrow Ladle’s leaf,
péng lán zhī yè‘
童子佩韘。 the boy wear’s the archer’s thumb ring.
tóng zĭ pèishè。
雖則佩韘， Though his is the pendent thumb ring,
suī zé pèishè，
能不我甲。 He cannot protect me.
néng bù wŏ jiă，
容兮遂兮， He claims to fulfill me,
róng xī suí xī，
垂带悸兮。 But his girdle hangs low.
chuí dài jì xī。

[shunyadragon]

This one is the woman's view of the typical forced marriage. The theme of jade in this one is beautiful women are compared to the subtle off-white mutton fat jade with flesh colored tones and soft silky feel of a woman's skin.

君子偕老 jūn zĭ jié lăo: Growing old with the king. Lament and protest of the beautiful Duchess of Wei, forced to be the mistress of her father in law the king. This poem has a sarcastic, bitter tone.

君子偕老, 副筓六珊。 Growing old with the king,
jūn zĭ jié lăo, fù jī liù shān his wig, hairpin, pearls and jade adorned.
委委佗佗, 如山如河。 Stately and proper, but cool and detached,
wĕi wĕi tuó tuó, rú shān rú hé from the mountain she flows gracefully.
象服是宜。 Her robes please the king.
xiáng fú shì yí.
子之不淑, 云如之何? King’s uncooperative mistress.
zĭ zhī bù shū, yún rú zhī hé? What to do with the duchess?

玼兮玼兮,其之翟也。 Silky soft white jade in pheasant gown.
cuō xī cuō xī, qī zhĭ dí yĕ
鬒发如云,不屑髢也。 Black hair like clouds, not false, her own.
zhĕn fà rú yún, bù xiè dí yĕ
玉之瑱也,象之揥也。 Jade adorns her ears, ivory hairpin.
yù zhī zhèn yĕ, xiàng zhī tì yĕ
扬且之皙也。 Forehead white and open.
yáng qiè zhī xī yĕ.
胡然而天也? 胡然而帝也? Why not the heavens possess?
hú rán ĕr tiān yĕ ? hú rán ĕr dì yĕ? Why not prestigious duchess?

瑳兮瑳兮,其之展也。 Silky soft white jade in flowing dress.
cuō xī cuō xī, qī zhĭ zhăn yĕ
蒙彼绉絺,是绁袢也。 Fine silk robes, with fine hemp cord ornate.
méng bĭ zhòu chī, shì xiè pàn yĕ
子之清扬,扬且之颜也。 Eyes bright and clear, a face captivate
zĭ zhī qīng yáng, yáng qiè zhĭ yán yĕ
展如之人兮,邦之媛也! Fair, though she radiate,
zhăn rú zhī rén xī, bēng zhī yuán yĕ! but the King violate!