Till his Temples Frosted in his Autumn Years
--to the tune “River Tune’s First Notes”
(When I was in Mizhou last year, I composed a ci poem to my brother Ziyou in this tune. This year he came to join us for family reunion at Xuzhou and spent months here till after the Autumn Festival. At departure he shared his new ci poem to the same tune but touched with a sad note. So I wrote this poem, trying to cheer him up, while urging him to consider also an early retirement, so that we may enjoy a peaceful life in each other’s company for good.)
Chinese original: Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Zizhan', art name 'Dongpo')
English translation & annotation: Julia Min (Sept. 2024)
Till his temples frosted in his autumn years,
Anshi had a peaceful life near the East Sea.
To kins and friends he bid farewell with tears.
Only flute and guqin could ease the grief.
He promised his return down the Yangtse River.
After he settled the borders and State matters.
Yet the West Gate saw him sick and depressed.
Lofty places had no room for his country life.
With sad regrets his promise ended in his death.
Our prime years are gone, only stories left.
Thousand miles set our hometown to the west.
It’s time for a plan whereby both retire.
Better we settle somewhere nice and near.
A detached life with poetry is all I desire.
For my worldly concerns, only wine can clear.
Should I fall, I would know you’re always there.
Well, Liu Bei may laugh at us from his high tower,
But cheers to our common life in our common wear.
Notes:
1. Anshi: Lord Xie An (social name Anshi 320-385 AC) was a Chinese politician of Eastern Jin dynasty (317- 420 AC). He was already well-known for his elegance and eloquence when he lived a free life at his East Hill by the Yangtse River near the East Sea. But his brother died in a fierce battle at the border, he had to come out of his secluded comfort zone for his family and the State. Great achievements were witnessed soon after. Not only his family status was consolidated as one the Big Three in the ruling class, but also, Jin’s state territory drew a bigger map because of his presence in the Court. The idiom‘rise like the phoenix’(东山再起) came from his story.
2. West Gate: It was recorded that Anshi came through the west gate on his way home after he fell sick and never was he recovered hence. Superstition had it that the Sun sets on the west side, implying the decline of his fate.
3. Liu Bei: lived from 161 to 223 AC, the first emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms. He was a remarkable politician and a brilliant leader that Su Shi admired. Please refer to other works by Su Shi –“A Moon-Night Drink on a Boat by Red Cliff”( 《前赤壁赋》) and“Meditating on the Past at Red Cliff ”(《念奴娇. 赤壁怀古》) .
Appreciation:
This poem presents a farewell moment of the brothers after their reunion when both were around forty years old, similar age to Anshi when he ‘rose’ from his East Hill to start his career in officialdom. The theme is simple while the reference to Anshi and Liu Bei is intriguing, rippling a persuasive and powerful association in our imaginations. Su Shi’s intention was crystalized further with his emphasis on a detached life like a commoner. No wonder the later banishment to Huangzhou couldn’t crush him. Instead, we see a momentous change in him. He became stronger in spirit and took the opportunity to enjoy a country life like a farmer and fisherman. The extraordinary experience gilded his most productive period with the best poetry in his whole life.
Many poems and prose were written and sent between the brothers over their years of working far away from each other. With a more moderate character, Ziyou had a much smoother officialdom, and gradually assumed the role like a big brother, financing Zizhan continuously during the three well-known banishments. This reminds me of Vincent and Theo of the Van Gogh family. Su Shi’s highly celebrated poem “ When was the Moon ever so Bright”( 《水调歌头.明月几时有》) was written the year before after seven years of separation. They didn’t know when they could meet again. Thus, Su Zhe had every reason to express his melancholy at his departure. In fact the two brothers echoed each other with many poems and prose. It’s a genuine kinship and penship we can only, hopelessly, admire in today’s society.
水调歌头. 安石在东海
(余去岁在东武，作《水调歌头》以寄子由。今年子由相从彭门居百余日，过中秋而去，作此曲以别。余以其语过悲，乃为和之，其意以不早退为戒，以退而相从之乐为慰云耳)
原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）
英译及赏析: 闵晓红(2024.09)
安石在东海，
从事鬓惊秋。
中年亲友难别，
丝竹缓离愁。
准拟东还海道，
扶病入西州。
雅志困轩冕，
遗恨寄沧洲。
岁云暮,
须早计,
要褐裘。
故乡归去千里,
佳处辄迟留。
我醉歌时君和,
醉倒须君扶我,
惟酒可忘忧。
一任刘玄德，
相对卧高楼。
Reference:
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