水调歌头. 安石在东海 Till his Temples Turned Grey in Autumn Years

Till his Temples Turned Grey in Autumn Years

--to the tune “River Rhyme (prelude)”

(When I was in Mizhou last year, I composed a ci poem to my younger brother Ziyou in this tune.) This year, he came to join us for the family reunion in Xuzhou and stayed for months, until after the Autumn Festival. On departure, he shared his new ci poem in the same tune, but with a sad note. So I wrote this poem, trying to cheer him up while urging him to consider an early retirement, so that we may enjoy a peaceful life together for good.)

Chinese original: Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Zizhan', art name 'Dongpo')

English version & annotation: Julia Min (Sept. 2024)

Till his temples turned grey in autumn years,

Anshi had a peaceful life near the East Sea.

To kins and friends, he bid farewell in tears.

Only the flute and guqin could ease his grief.

He promised to return eastward on the River

after he settled State matters and the border.

Yet, fatally sick, he reached the West Gate.

His promise ended in regret, shaped by his fate.

His country life was a dream in the lofty place.

Our prime years are gone; only stories are left.

A thousand miles is our hometown to the west.

It’s time we decide when we both may retire,

to be commoners somewhere nice and near.

For a detached life, just music and verse;

For worldly cares, only wine can clear.

Should I fall, I know you’ll have my back.

Well, Liu Bei might mock us from his tower,

But here’s to our common life in common wear.

Notes:

1. Anshi: Lord Xie An (social name Anshi, 320-385 AC) was a Chinese politician of the 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 after 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 followed soon after. Not only was his family’s status consolidated as one of the Big Three in the ruling class, but Jin’s state territory also expanded 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 recovered. Superstition held 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 whom Su Shi admired. Please refer to other works by Su Shi – “A Drink in the Moon River at Red Cliff” (《前赤壁赋》) and “Meditating on the Past at Red Cliff” (《念奴娇. 赤壁怀古》).

Appreciation:

This poem captures a farewell moment between the brothers after their reunion, when both were around forty, an age similar to Anshi’s when he ‘rose’ from his East Hill to begin 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 is further crystallised by his emphasis on a detached life in the commoners’ world. No wonder the later banishment to Huangzhou couldn’t crush him. Instead, we see a momentous change in him. He grew in spirit and took the opportunity to enjoy a country life, like a farmer or a fisherman. The extraordinary experience gilded his most productive period, yielding the best poetry of his life.

Many poems and prose pieces were exchanged between the brothers over the years they worked far apart. With a more moderate disposition, Ziyou had a much smoother official career and gradually assumed a big-brother role, financing Zizhan continuously during the three well-known banishments. This reminds me of Vincent and Theo, the Van Gogh brothers.

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 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 exchanged many poems and prose pieces. 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:

1. baike.baidu.com