醉翁操·琅然 Sonorous, like Pebbles Dancing on Stones
- Julia Min
- 4月3日
- 讀畢需時 3 分鐘
已更新：5小时前
Sonorous, like Pebbles Dancing on Stones
--to the tune “The Drinking Lord”
（Langya Valley is a green paradise of rolling mountains and flowing streams, where my mentor Ouyang Xiu (affectionately known as 'The Drinking Lord'), relished the natural melodies and the company of friends over wine. It was here that he penned his famous prose, “The Drinker’s Pavilion.” A decade later, the musician Shen Zun was inspired by Xiu’s work and visited the valley with his qin, leading to the creation of the successful ci-tune “The Drinking Lord”, which sensationally captured the sound of the running stream. Xiu loved the music and wrote a beautiful ci-poem for the tune. However, the rhyming lines seemed to drift apart from the musical notes. According to “The Ci-songs of Chu State”《楚词》, many musicians tried to create new tunes for the ci poem, but the music was often overshadowed by the verses. Now, over thirty years since their passing, Cui Xian, a master of qin music and Daoist monk from Lushan Mountain (Daoist name ‘Jade Stream’), came to me in Huangzhou seeking a ci-poem to fulfil his desire to complete Zun’s ci-tune.）
written by Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Dongpo')
En. trans. by Julia Min (Mar.2025)
Sonorous, like pebbles dancing on stones，
Softened in echo thru the valley, it’s fulfilled.
The soothing breeze whispers in moonlit hills.
Who’s playing? Only our Drinking Lord knows.
The music vibrates the hearts of dreaming dews.
Even the best ears on earth can be overwhelmed.
It’s a silent symphony on Someone’s fingers, --
a grace of the celestial, a solace for sleepless souls.
Xiu chanted here to the stream’s high and low.
Now he’s gone, his vibes linger on silent notes.
Mountains rejuvenate bare areas here and there.
Rivers could run backward, though very rare.
Xiu has left us forever to the isle of immortals,
Though we miss him here chanting his ci-poems.
Appreciation:
Dongpo composed this song in memory of his beloved mentor Lord Ouyang Xiu. It’s another showpiece where an ordinary theme is made unique with the background story of this famous man. Not to mention, the sensational short phrases were wisely chosen to imitate the running rhythm of the stream through the valley – waterfalls on rocks, cascading flow over stones… Such a treat for the eye and the ear. The renowned music “The Drinking Lord” could have enriched readers’ imagination further with a yearning for a symphony with the earth melody and Xiu’s chanting. Apparently, the repeated 2-word structure in the initial two lines creates a rushing pace (maybe Shen used short musical notes in his tune) that immediately draws the readers to the loud waterfalls at Langya Valley. I have to admit that this is the first time I’ve ever read Su’s ci-poem with such an impressive start. It’s a rafting journey that starts on a rocky stream just before reaching a waterfall. A quick engagement is deliberately created for the artistic and natural effects.
醉翁操·琅然
（琅琊幽谷，山水奇丽，泉鸣空涧，若中音会，醉翁喜之，把酒临听，辄欣然忘归。既去十余年，而好奇之士沈遵闻之往游，以琴写其声，曰《醉翁操》，节奏疏宕而音指华畅，知琴者以为绝伦。然有其声而无其辞。翁虽为作歌，而与琴声不合。又依《楚词》作《醉翁引》，好事者亦倚其辞以制曲。虽粗合韵度而琴声为词所绳的，非天成也。后三十余年，翁既捐馆舍，遵亦没久矣。有庐山玉涧道人崔闲，特妙于琴，恨此曲之无词，乃谱其声，而请于东坡居士以补之云。）
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(2025)
琅然，清圆。
谁弹? 响空山。
无言，惟翁醉中知其天。
月明风露娟娟，人未眠。
荷蒉过山前，曰有心也哉此贤。
醉翁啸咏，声和流泉。
醉翁去后，空有朝吟夜怨。
山有时而童颠，水有时而回川。
思翁无岁年，翁今为飞仙。
此意在人间，试听徽外三两弦。
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