Farewell to Lingju on Double Seventh Festival
--to the tune “Celestial lovers on the Magpie Bridge”
Chinese original: Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Zizhan', art name 'Dongpo')
English translation & annotation: Julia Min (Sept. 2024)
Unlike the silly weaver attached to mortals,
Who descended to her cowherd for their love nestle,
A young soul named Ziqiao ascended on Mount Gou,
When his mind was detached from all earthly control.
He flew on crane while he bid farewell to the people.
His phoenix tune on flute entered the moon of crystal.
Legend says a rainstorm once sent a bamboo boat
From the sea to the Starry River’s flowing ripples.
Perhaps in our past life we were very close,
Meant to meet today and drink till we tippled.
Life is a floating leaf in sea storms unseeable.
Who knows where we’ll meet after this farewell?
Notes:
1. Lingju: Chen Lingju was a friend of Su Shi;
2. Double Seventh Festival: Chinese valentine’s day, usually celebrated in the evening on 7 July ( Lunar Calendar);
3. Weaver: the legendary love story of the Weaver, a celestial, and the Cowherd, her human lover. They married and had two children but the happy life together was ended by Heaven. As their punishment, their life was separated by the Starry River. Only on the Double Seventh night could the family enjoy a reunion on a bridge formed for the occasion by magpie birds.
4. Ziqiao: legend has it too that a young man named Wang Ziqiao became a celestial on Mount Gou ( Henan Province today). People saw him flying on wind while playing his flute on his famous phoenix music.
Appreciation:
The unique and lofty perspective on the theme of a Lover’s day makes this poem very tasty indeed.
It was composed in the evening during a farewell party on Chinese Valentine’s day. While other gentlemen were indulging in the charming poems and songs on young and erotic loving relationship, Su Shi diverted their minds from the traditional theme of stereotyped earthly joy to a transcending theme of becoming free from earthly attachments controlling our pure souls -- a Daoist pursuit of ascending from the mortals’ reincarnating cycles to the celestial world in Heaven. Thus, the weever girl and her cowherd were silly and stupid in Su Shi’s understanding. The poem was his wake-up call to his fellow human mortals.
The Dao applies not just to the attached relationship between lovers, but also between kins and friends. Meetings and partings are just a natural performance of karma, a playing system of reason and result. There’s no need to get sentimental about it. Just take it easy and accept what’s coming your way. Once you go through the obstacles in your route, your spirit transcends to a new level, getting closer to become a freer soul.
Similar idea was implied in many of his poems, such as "How I compare the new arrivals in a life journey?" (《和子由渑池怀旧》) which is also translated here in this site.
鹊桥仙·七夕送陈令举
原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）
缑山仙子，
高清云渺，
不学痴牛騃女。
凤箫声断月明中，
举手谢、时人欲去。
客槎曾犯，
银河微浪，
尚带天风海雨。
相逢一醉是前缘，
风雨散、飘然何处？
Reference:
m.gushiwen.cn(古诗文网）
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