鹧鸪天·暗淡轻黄体性柔 原作：李清照 英译：戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红 暗淡轻黄体性柔， 情疏迹远只香留。 何须浅碧轻红色， 自是花中第一流。 梅定妒，菊应羞， 画阑开处冠中秋。 骚人可煞无情思， 何事当年不见收。 An Ode to the Golden Blossoms - to the tune ‘A Sky of Francolins’ (Zhegutian ) written by Li Qingzhao translated by Gordon Osing & Julia Min Pale, softest yellow and delicate her form is, or desolate, but far away her fine fragrance drifts. She needs no loud red on common green boughs to be found her blossoms blessed with the best. Now let plum blooms envy, and chrysanths confess. The carved rails display autumn’s highest praise. Qu Yuan must have lost the taste to appreciate. How come in Li Sao she’s not even possessed? ---- Appreciation: This ci is thought to have come from Li Qingzhao's early period (1108-1127), before she fled south. It is some-times called an "Ode to Osmanthus Flowers." The great Chu State poet Qu Yuan had written a treatise on the virtues of each blossom in the flower Pantheon, forgetting to include the Osmanthus golden blossoms. Here the poet uses the osmanthus to suggest the unrecognized and the unappreciated, which could be her own creations, and, indeed, herself, too fine a lady to offer the world some loud address. Although she was already very well received but still not included in the State’s Official collection, simply because she was a woman. This also explains why today we have such a small number of her poems left. As an ode lyric, she didn’t follow the conventional way of focusing on the beauty only, but shifting the readers’ attention to the comparison with the tone of a critic. The other hit among flower poems is her choice to describe the quality of Osmanthus flower without naming it in the whole poem. If we haven’t added it in the title but used the first line as the title as often the case with Ci poems, the whole poem would read like a riddle again, like her other poem on peony flower ( ‘’Tis the Last Flower of Spring Days – to the tune of Qingqingchaoman). I could imagine it is not just her personal style but more a humorous sensation among the gentle society entertainment occasions. I’m all for it for the fun, not wasting her effort. Riddle game was very popular in ancient China, still so today during festive season celebrations. The plum blossom, that occurs in late February or early March, when Winter is still upon the land, represents thus endurance, honor in adversity and lonely courage, as in the famous poem “The Plum Blossoms” by Su Shi (Su Tong-po). Chrysanthemums, that bloom at the end of the Summer and into the Autumn, represent spirit growing beautiful and expressing love of life as the Winter draws near. Notes: "sao ren": Qu Yuan（340—278 BC）founder of Romanticism in Poetry. He wrote the longest lyric Li Sao in ancient China. It covers many flowers in terms of the qualities each suggested to the Confucian gentlemen. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: zhè gū tiān ·àn dàn qīng huáng tǐ xìng róu àn dàn qīng huáng tǐ xìng róu ， qíng shū jì yuǎn zhī xiāng liú 。 hé xū qiǎn bì qīng hóng sè ， zì shì huā zhōng dì yī liú 。 méi dìng dù ，jú yīng xiū ， huà lán kāi chù guàn zhōng qiū 。 sāo rén kě shà wú qíng sī ， hé shì dāng nián bú jiàn shōu 。

多丽·小楼寒 原作：李清照 英译：戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红 小楼寒， 夜长帘幕低垂。 恨萧萧、无情风雨， 夜来揉损琼肌。 也不似、贵妃醉脸， 也不似、孙寿愁眉。 韩令偷香， 徐娘傅粉， 莫将比拟未新奇。 细看取、屈平陶令， 风韵正相宜。 微风起， 清芬蕴藉， 不减酴釄。 渐秋阑、雪清玉瘦， 向人无限依依。 似愁凝、汉皋解佩， 似泪洒、纨扇题诗。 朗月清风， 浓烟暗雨， 天教憔悴度芳姿。 纵爱惜、不知从此， 留得几多时？ 人情好， 何须更忆， 泽畔东篱。 In her cold chamber the whole night long - to the tune of Duoli written by Li Qingzhao translated by Gordon Osing & Julia Min In her cold chamber the whole night long, the curtains sagging, tightly drawn, she hates the incessant winds and rains that chase to ruin her jade complexion. Forget Yang Guifei's tipsy smile, Sun Shou's frowned crescent eyebrows, or Han shou's stolen incense and Lady Xu's powdered face. Look closer, my friend, Qu Ping and Magistrate Tao knew better! The breeze lifts a subtle fragrance like raspberry, but all the sweeter. Autumn deepens, and her fine snowy skin shows an ultimate reluctance that is human, like the sorrow at Hangao for lost pendants, or Lady Ban’s poem of tears on her silk fan. Under the full moon in chilly winds, in thickening haze and darkening rains, the Gods spend all her fragrance. No matter how we cherish the moment, only out of time, she’s never for long. If the world weren't so wrong, who'd need the effort to send for Lord Qu in his lakeshore garden! --- Appreciation: This ci is thought to have come from Li Qingzhao's early period (1108-1127), before she fled south. It is some-times called an "Ode to Osmanthus Flowers." The great Chu State poet Qu Yuan had written a treatise on the virtues of each blossom in the flower Pantheon, forgetting to include the Osmanthus golden blossoms. Here the poet uses the osmanthus to suggest the unrecognized and the unappreciated, which could be her own creations, and, indeed, herself, too fine a lady to offer the world some loud address. Although she was already very well received but still not included in the State’s Official collection, simply because she was a woman. This also explains why today we have such a small number of her poems left. As an ode lyric, she didn’t follow the conventional way of focusing on the beauty only, but shifting the readers’ attention to the comparison with the tone of a critic. The other hit among flower poems is her choice to describe the quality of Osmanthus flower without naming it in the whole poem. If we haven’t added it in the title but used the first line as the title as often the case with Ci poems, the whole poem would read like a riddle again, like her other poem on peony flower ( ‘’Tis the Last Flower of Spring Days – to the tune of Qingqingchaoman). I could imagine it is not just her personal style but more a humorous sensation among the gentle society entertainment occasions. I’m all for it for the fun, not wasting her effort. Riddle game was very popular in ancient China, still so today during festive season celebrations. The plum blossom, that occurs in late February or early March, when Winter is still upon the land, represents thus endurance, honor in adversity and lonely courage, as in the famous poem “The Plum Blossoms” by Su Shi (Su Tong-po). Chrysanthemums, that bloom at the end of the Summer and into the Autumn, represent spirit growing beautiful and expressing love of life as the Winter draws near. Notes: "sao ren": Qu Yuan（340—278 BC）founder of Romanticism in Poetry. He wrote the longest lyric Li Sao in ancient China. It covers many flowers in terms of the qualities each suggested to the Confucian gentlemen. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: zhè gū tiān ·àn dàn qīng huáng tǐ xìng róu àn dàn qīng huáng tǐ xìng róu ， qíng shū jì yuǎn zhī xiāng liú 。 hé xū qiǎn bì qīng hóng sè ， zì shì huā zhōng dì yī liú 。 méi dìng dù ，jú yīng xiū ， huà lán kāi chù guàn zhōng qiū 。 sāo rén kě shà wú qíng sī ， hé shì dāng nián bú jiàn shōu 。

晓梦 原作：李清照（宋） 英译：闵晓红 晓梦随疏钟， 飘然蹑云霞。 因缘安期生， 邂逅萼绿华。 秋风正无赖， 吹尽玉井花。 共看藕如船， 同食枣如瓜。 翩翩坐上客， 意妙语亦佳。 嘲辞斗诡辩， 活火分新茶。 虽非助帝功， 其乐莫可涯。 人生能如此， 何必归故家。 起来敛衣坐， 掩耳厌喧哗。 心知不可见， 念念犹咨嗟。 My Dream at Dawn translated by Julia Min The sleepy chimes sent me to a dream at dawn. I paddled along rosy clouds fluttering beyond. As if arranged I met Anqi of Penglai before long, and E Luhua, the fairy from ‘South Mount’. Autumn doesn’t have the taste to appreciate, the Yujin Lotus blooms being chased and gone. The lotus seeds we found are long like a boat, and big as melon are the dates we feast upon. Then other friends in white robes join the table. We echoed to and fro with ci, the lyric songs, in graceful elegance and whimsical eloquence, over fresh tea made on the pot fire till morn. A lady can never succeed by the Song throne, but I have so much joy in the dream beyond, What more could I ask for after this event? It’s better than my homeland dream long-drawn. I got dressed and sat in respect like a new born, feeling so real as if the dreamland’s where I belong. Ear shut to the bustling world, I tried to re-enter, though I knew not possible to meet again beyond. --- Appreciation: This is her only poem on dream left today though dream is mentioned in some of her Ci poems. From the line ‘It’s better than my homeland dream long-drawn’, we may conclude the composing year could be in her later life after she fled to the Lin’an (the temporary Court of the Song after the fall of the capital in Bianliang, today’s Kaifeng City.). The poem articulates a comparison of her dream world where she longs for and a reality of helpless frustration and anger, aiming to criticize the hopeless Court in their response against the invasion from the north -- a similar sensation as Li Bai and Du Fu in a world of turmoil. This poem also reminds me of W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) who wrote ‘The Second Coming’ where the great Irish poet (Nobel Prize winner) crafted and elaborate over the turmoil of the world, like the above mentioned poets, feeling just helpless in changing it but putting his hope for some miracle to save the world. With such talented artistic quality, these poets, most common people would say, do not belong here but there beyond. Notes: 1. Anqi of Penglai: Penglai Mountain on an island off the East China Sea is the legendary fairyland for the immortals. Gentleman Anqi is a legendary figure appeared in the Qin Dynasty when he was already a thousand year old. 2. E Luhua, the legendary fairy who claimed that she was from ‘South Mount’ which is not known to the world. 3. Yujin Lotus blooms: a legend borrowed from Han Yu’s poem “Ancient Sensation” where he wrote: On the peak of Taihua ( Today’s Mount Hua), the Yujin Lotus blooms are over ten metres in size and the lotus seeds are long like a boat. 4. friends in white robes: a popular image of a learned gentleman in ancient China; Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: xiǎo mèng xiǎo mèng suí shū zhōng ， piāo rán niè yún xiá 。 yīn yuán ān qī shēng ， xiè hòu è lǜ huá 。 qiū fēng zhèng wú lài ， chuī jìn yù jǐng huā 。 gòng kàn ǒu rú chuán ， tóng shí zǎo rú guā 。 piān piān zuò shàng kè ， yì miào yǔ yì jiā 。 cháo cí dòu guǐ biàn ， huó huǒ fèn xīn chá 。 suī fēi zhù dì gōng ， qí lè mò kě yá 。 rén shēng néng rú cǐ ， hé bì guī gù jiā 。 qǐ lái liǎn yī zuò ， yǎn ěr yàn xuān huá 。 xīn zhī bú kě jiàn ， niàn niàn yóu zī jiē 。

长寿乐·南昌生日 原作：李清照（宋） 英译：闵晓红 微寒应候， 望日边， 六叶阶蓂初秀。 爱景欲挂扶桑， 漏残银箭， 杓回摇斗。 庆高闳此际， 掌上一颗明珠剖。 有令容淑质， 归逢佳偶。 到如今， 昼锦满堂贵胄。 荣耀， 文步紫禁， 一一金章绿绶。 更值棠棣连阴， 虎符熊轼， 夹河分守。 况青云咫尺， 朝暮重入承明后。 看彩衣争献、 兰羞玉酎。 祝千龄， 借指松椿比寿。 Nanchang’s Birthday - to the tune of Longevity Grace. written by Li Qingzhao translated by Julia Min On a day the calendar plant grew its sixth leaf, the winter sun about to rise by the mulberry tree, the water clock dripping low on silver arrow scale, the Dipper Stars on the Milky Way turning sails, you were born with a silver spoon in your palm, since then you were the moony pearl of charm, well-bred for gentle class n wedded to your oyster. For your birthday today, your offspring gathered, in the Place of Honour built by your forefather, who retired to return in glory from the Emperor. Now I see an array of blue-blooded gentlemen - the esteemed, the renowned and the eminent. For generations down, your family is civil servant to the Crowns, favoured for countless achievements. Many have held the seal of gold in green ribbon. Now both sons are appointed as governors, given the Tiger’s Tally to command on military mission, and a caroche with bear handrail on the sedan, so close to the throne, so promising and prominent. Today, before you both gentlemen kneeled down, followed by the Purples and Blues in the crowd, blessing you with food in porcelain n wine in jade. I, too, wish you to live long as pines and toonas,- a reward for the worthy only in kindest grace. Appreciation: This Ci poem could be the most intellectual birthday poem ever written, which led to a most challenging translation work I ever translated into English. Li Qingzhao is not confirmed as the writer as some critics think that the language style is more complicated than most of her poetry, esp. so to contemporaries as there are so many things in it do not exist anymore but were well known by the Song people. It is indeed an aristocratic birthday celebration in the 12th century China, a most flourishing time in history where the gentlemen’s class exceeds any other dynasty not only in number and income, but also in quality and prestige. So, in my humble opinion, it could be Li Qingzhao’s creation ( could be in her late fifties) for the readership was the invited guests, ‘the Purples and Blues’, in the birthday celebration at the Place of Honour. As you may know, their intellectual level, as gentlemen and gentleladies of the Song, was way out of our lead today. It was most likely written right there, and then recited, and then sung by some celebrity, a popular entertainment of the time. Li Qingzhao was never a flattery type. The intelligence and sincerity showed here explains her close relation with the Han family. Her father was a student of Premier Han Qi (the ‘forefather’), so both families have been close for generations. Nanchang could be her close friend since childhood, but had all the luck in the world that Li Qingzhao was unfortunately deprived of. The tone of this ci poem overflows with her heartfelt admiration for her friend’s happy family, especially her sons. So it is not just a story of Nachang’s , or the Han’s, past and present, but also a contrast between Nanchang and Li Qingzhao if you know what our poet had been through before this day. Notes: 1. Calendar plant : a legendary plant that grows one leaf a day until the full moon and then falls a leaf a day until the moon is waned. So, the 6th leaf means the 6th day of the month in the lunar calendar which the Chinese used before the solar calendar was introduced; 2. Mulberry tree: legend has it too that the winter sun rises from a place where there was a big mulberry tree; 3. Water clock: a water dripping clock device with an arrow-shaped silver scale in it to tell the time. The water would be almost finished for refill early in the morning. 4. The Dipper Stars: the stars that would shift in direction before daybreak; 5. The Place of Honour: a very famous place in history, the residence built and named by Hanqi upon his return after his retirement from the Royal Court. The site is preserved today in Anyang, Henan Province. There is still a stone scripture there telling the story. 6. Golden seal in green ribbon: the seal used by high officials appointed by the emperor; 7. The Tiger’s tally: a tally given by the emperor to high officials with military power, such as a great general; it works like an official order to summon the army for a mission. 8. A caroche with a bear：a handrail in the front of a descent carriage, or a caroche, hinting the high position of the person sitting in it. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: chǎng shòu lè ·nán chāng shēng rì wēi hán yīng hòu ， wàng rì biān ， liù yè jiē mì chū xiù 。 ài jǐng yù guà fú sāng ， lòu cán yín jiàn ， biāo huí yáo dòu 。 qìng gāo hóng cǐ jì ， zhǎng shàng yī kē míng zhū pōu 。 yǒu lìng róng shū zhì ， guī féng jiā ǒu 。 dào rú jīn ， zhòu jǐn mǎn táng guì zhòu 。 róng yào ， wén bù zǐ jìn ， yī yī jīn zhāng lǜ shòu 。 gèng zhí táng dì lián yīn ， hǔ fú xióng shì ， jiá hé fèn shǒu 。 kuàng qīng yún zhǐ chǐ ， zháo mù zhòng rù chéng míng hòu 。 kàn cǎi yī zhēng xiàn 、 lán xiū yù zhòu 。 zhù qiān líng ， jiè zhǐ sōng chūn bǐ shòu 。

转调满庭芳.芳草池塘 原作：李清照（宋） 英译：闵晓红 补字：闵晓红 芳草池塘， 绿阴庭院， 晚晴寒透窗纱。 几声金鏁， 管是客来唦。 寂寞尊前席上， 惟笑我， 海角天涯。 能留否？ 酴釄落尽， 犹赖有黄花。 当年， 曾胜赏， 生香熏袖， 活火分茶。 更游龙骄马， 流水轻车。 不怕风狂雨骤， 恰才称, 煮酒残花。 如今也， 不成怀抱， 得似旧时那？ 注：‘几声’, ‘笑我’, ‘黄花’, ‘更游’ 本为原版缺字，后闵晓红不满意其它版本的补字，又根据词意补上。 The Fragrant Grass by the Pond - to the tune of Mantingfang written by Li Qingzhao translated by Julia Min The fragrant grass by the pond has stirred my memory beyond. The wind sends chill through the screens, waking my dream in the shaded green. Did I hear knockings at the gate? Maybe I have friends joining dinner today?- Well, nothing gold can ever stay. Just me at the table, drinking alone. Here, laugh if you will at this sickening lady who’d not care as she’s so remote from home. Now that bramble roses faded to mud, we have but to expect for chrysanthemum. I remember, I remember, the happy parties with friends over, -- the creamy teas made on pot fire followed by warm rice wine in a hall with incense burners, until our sleeves are filled with the aroma until our spirits flew in feathers… Not to mention the gallant horses, and crafted carriages flowing like river. Even thunderstorm couldn’t stand in our way. - Whatever blooms fallen, we’d not care a moment. Today, I see a water view so similar, but a feel peculiarly unfamiliar. Appreciation: It’s believed that our poet wrote this ci at the age of 54 when she had settled in Lin’an. On a hot summer day, she was resting in her big balcony behind the screen under a big tree near a pond surrounded with green grass plants scented by the roseleaf bramble flowers just fallen after the rain. She seemed to have heard knockings at the gate but her maid returns alone. Just another illusion! At such ‘a remote corner of the world’, how could she find her old friends?! She realized the happiness of her days are gone forever. There is only her resistant courage and gracefulness for the remaining years of her life, which is hinted in the concluding line of the first stanza. The second stanza explores further her memory of the happy old days before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty when her beloved husband, family and friends often get together during summer season. It was a carefree luxurious life style with sweet incense burning in the room, tea game going hectic to see who could make the creamiest tea, the young drinking to new poems far into the night… where she of course was often the winner or the hit of the party. Melancholy and loneliness were not in her dictionary, and all just feels like yesterday! The whole poem structures on the contrast between the past and the present to achieve a striking artistic effect on the readers’ mind about the transforming years between Northern Song and Southern Song. The impact on the intellectual world was obviously a strong one as we have discovered so many artistic works on the period. Notes: 1. roseleaf bramble: It was the last bloom of flowers that wither in summer, hinting the last days of beauty and happiness in Chinese culture. 2. creamy teas: popular tea serving in the Song dynasty where a tea ball is crushed to powder and mixed with water seven times until it becomes creamy before sharing into cups for guests. It’s been inherited by the Japanese, and now getting popular in mainland China. 3. remote：it’s more the distance in the mind than the actual miles. Having tumbled here and there with the escape team of the Royal court to many a new destination along the sea borders, even to some islands, Li Qingzhao used hǎi jiǎo tiān yá, i.e. the edge of the sea and heaven, to exaggerate how she felt there and then. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: zhuǎn diào mǎn tíng fāng . fāng cǎo chí táng fāng cǎo chí táng ， lǜ yīn tíng yuàn ， wǎn qíng hán tòu chuāng shā 。 jǐ shēng jīn suǒ ， guǎn shì kè lái shā 。 jì mò zūn qián xí shàng ， wéi xiào wǒ ， hǎi jiǎo tiān yá 。 néng liú fǒu ？ tú mí luò jìn ， yóu lài yǒu huáng huā 。 dāng nián ， céng shèng shǎng ， shēng xiāng xūn xiù ， huó huǒ fèn chá 。 gèng yóu lóng jiāo mǎ ， liú shuǐ qīng chē 。 bú pà fēng kuáng yǔ zhòu ， qià cái chēng , zhǔ jiǔ cán huā 。 rú jīn yě ， bú chéng huái bào ， dé sì jiù shí nà ？

钓台 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：闵晓红 巨舰只缘因利往， 扁舟亦是为名来。 往来有愧先生德， 特地通宵过钓台。 The River Traffic by Yan’s Fishing Pavilion translated by Julia Min Look at all the boats coming for a token of fame, and the ships sail away for silver and gold. I can’t help feeling ashamed of my escape, so we sneaked passed in midnight’s cold. Appreciation: Again, our poet chose the form of Poem instead of Ci when she expressed a stronger theme, an open criticism against the weakness of the ruling Court in military defence, and more ironically, the gentlemen’s society that were still busy in the hustle and bustle of fame-seeking game when they were expected to seek for national integrity threated by Jin from the North. Even Li Qingzhao herself ran for her life following the Empress Dowager’s long team of escape, hence, she chose to pass Yan’s fishing spot in the dark feeling so ashamed of doing it in daylight. It appears as if it’s her shame but a much stronger irony is meant for the gentlemen’s society. Females in the Song were not accepted in the army, otherwise she might have joined and written to encourage a stronger defence in some military force. I wouldn’t be surprised considering her temperament since teenage years being an elegant lady with a heart of heroic courage, as we may also see in her other works – By the River of Wujiang (“Alive, I’d be a hero for the people,/Dead, a paragon of ghosts in Hell.”); The Eight Verses Tower,…… Notes: 1. Yan’s Fishing Pavilion: Legend has it that this is the riverbank spot where Yan Zilin used to do fishing when he chose to live in seclusion rather than living for fame and money in a high official position offered by Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty ( Liu Xiu 5-57 AD). He is respected for his courage in pursuing the value in his heart rather than the social value of the chaotic world, the heroic integrity Li Qingzhao failed to see in the Southern Song’s Court officials. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: diào tái jù jiàn zhī yuán yīn lì wǎng ， biǎn zhōu yì shì wéi míng lái 。 wǎng lái yǒu kuì xiān shēng dé ， tè dì tōng xiāo guò diào tái 。

南歌子·天上星河转 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：闵晓红 天上星河转， 人间帘幕垂。 凉生枕簟泪痕滋。 起解罗衣， 聊问夜何其。 翠贴莲蓬小， 金销藕叶稀。 旧时天气旧时衣。 只有情怀， 不似旧家时。 The Starry River Turns her Sails - To the tune of Nangezi translated by Julia Min The Starry River turns her sails where the spirit of my blessed dwells. Deep in sleep the Earth seems so still. Alone, I’m awake into midnight chill. My pillow is wet with tears, so is my night dress. After changing, my maid persuades me to bed. Then my eyes touch my gown - the golden threads on lotus leaves, the seed head left alone by herself... Alas, this is the very dress of your taste, so is the season in the same pleasant phase. Only my heart’s rhymes and vibes go astray. Without you, the world is never the same. Appreciation: There are different opinions about the time she wrote this ci. This song poem, in my understanding, was most likely composed soon after her husband’s sudden death in Jiankang ( today’s Nanjing City). She wrote quite a few during this mourning period, and the other one on our list here is A chill wind woke me before dawn (“浪淘沙.帘外五更风”). You could feel these two poems are quite similar in terms of her feelings, language used and the overall style. The vibes are on the same frequency, and even the time of the occasion is about the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day in future these two were found creations of the same night. Personally I would allow my six sense join her before I lay down any words on paper, to feel her heart beat, her eye expressions, her tears, her dress, her qin, and ornaments, and the vibes of her chamber before translating into English. Notes: 1. xīng hé zhuǎn: the Milky Way / the Star River is making a turn, meaning it has passed midnight; 2. jīn xiāo ǒu yè xī: the lotus leaves embroidered on her night dress shows stems in golden threads. ‘xi’ very few, meaning autumn is on the corner; Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: nán gē zǐ – the musical tune of this song poem; tiān shàng xīng hé zhuǎn – in the sky the Starry River turns; rén jiān lián mù chuí – human world curtains / drapes are unrolled /drawn liáng shēng zhěn diàn lèi hén zī – feel cold pillow and bamboo sheet tears traces all over; qǐ jiě luó yī – get up change my silk night dress; liáo wèn yè hé qí – tired and tedious, I ask what time it is; cuì tiē lián péng xiǎo – fresh green lotus pots small; jīn xiāo ǒu yè xī – in golden threads the lotus leaves only a few; jiù shí tiān qì jiù shí yī – old time weather, old time clothes; zhī yǒu qíng huái – only my feelings; bú sì jiù jiā shí – unlike old time

醉花阴.薄雾浓云愁永昼（重阳） 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红 薄雾浓云愁永昼， 瑞脑消金兽。 佳节又重阳， 玉枕纱厨， 半夜凉初透。 东篱把酒黄昏后， 有暗香盈袖。 莫道不销魂， 帘卷西风， 人似黄花瘦。 On the Double Ninth Festival - to the tune of Zuihuayin written by : Li Qingzhao (1084-1155?) translated by: Gordon Osing & Julia Min A light mist and impenetrable heaven weary the day till Karuing incense is ashes in the golden beast. On this, the Double Ninth, reunion festival, our bed’s gauze nets and my dream pillow of jade are filled already at twilight with midnight's cold. I took my wine alone in the garden after dusk, till my sleeves smell the subtle fragrance. Don't say it doesn't lead the soul away. When autumn wind raises the curtain, this lady is drawn as the bitten chrysanths’ golden rays. Appreciation: This ci is regarded as part of her early works when Li Qingzhao was 20 years old, two years after her wedding. She wrote to express her longings for her husband Zhao Mingcheng who was away on an official appointment. It was a late autumn day which should be shorter every day but seemed the hours pass so slowly as she felt alienated by the usual intimacies of home. She portrays herself as the wan, neglected lady among the last blooming chrysanthemums in the garden. Chinese poets had been captivated by the enduring quality of chrysanthemum. Li Qingzhao is believed to have taken the image to a new level that Chinese readers would tend to associate the flower with her poems or her favourite poet Tao Yuanming’s lines whenever the flower is discussed in literature. A famous story in Chinese literary folklore attaches to this ci. It seems Zhao Mingcheng felt challenged by this ci’s graceful composition when he received it, and resolved to write one better. He wrote fifty ci in three days' frenzy and gave them to his poet friend Lu Defu to judge the batch, his wife's among them. The great Song scholar returned them saying that in all the collection, only three lines were flawless, and he named the last three lines of this poem. So Mingcheng had to acknowledge his lady had surpassed him in a talent for this art. In Europe, chrysanthemum was introduced from ancient China into French gardens and onto the vibrant paintings of Impressionists and later, the pages of American novels. The flower, drawing its allure from the golden rays of the sun, also associates supreme power as gold is the ruling colour exclusively used by Chinese emperors. Europeans, however, signify it with both life and death as they use it for mourning while many artists celebrate it for its golden rays that light the autumnal gloom. Notes: 1. "chong yang": literarily ‘double sun’, often called "chong jiu" meaning the "Double-Ninth" Festival, the ninth day of the ninth month in the lunar calendar. The figure 9 in Chinese culture signifies the supreme power of the emperor who is also the Father figure for the nation’s big family, the sun for the earth. On this day Chinese would climb the mountains ("deng gao",climb high!). There’s a legendary story behind this that at some ancient time people were told to climb high to avoid impending disaster. They did so and when they returned homes their animals had all been destroyed. The story is similar to that of Noah and the animals in the Biblical flood. A retreat into one of China's scenic mountains is undertaken even these days on the Double Ninth Festival. Family reunions and pilgrimage homes are till annually associated with the ancient holiday. (Several festivals each year carry the expectation of family unity, as you may know.) The "yang" in "chong yang" is the same as the "yang" in "tai yang", "great sun", as also in "yin/ yang", "moon/sun" (used to refer to the feminine, passive / masculine, active) and phases of consciousness. So "chong yang" may mean in English "double masculine", when the order of Heaven and the order of self, family, clan and village are madc one. 2. "nong yun": in some versions "nong, wu", thick fog. "chou": wearied by sadness. "yong zhou": entire day. 3. "rui nao": karuing incense, a good quality incense. "jin shou": golden beast, i.e., gold color incense burner that could be designed with lion head on both sides; 4. "yu zhen": jade pillow, porcelain headrest for sleeping, a transferred epithet for jade (wonderful, ideal) dreaming. "sha chu": a wooden structure over the bed for a gauze net, to keep insects out. 5. "dong li": east fence, referring to her garden where many chrysanthemum are in full bloom. It originates from the famous poet Tao Yuanming’s famous lines“采菊东篱下，悠然见南山” “I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge,/Then gaze long at the distant summer hills. ” translated by Arthur Waley） 6. "an xiang": hidden fragrance, often refers to plum blossoms, though the line here must refer to chrysanthemums. Another Song Dynasty poet Lin Po had written in his "Little Plum Trees in the Hill Garden ": "Soft shadows crossing/the shallow, clear waters./ Hidden fragrances floating with the moon after dusk. "ying xiu": filling sleeves, i.e., touching intimately all the body. 7. "xiao hun": hurt spirit, i.e., so much pain the spirit feels removed from the body. 8. "huang hua shou": more than (the frost-bitten chrysanthemum). Pinyin and word-for-word translation: zuì huā yīn - to the tune of Zuihuayin (on the Double-ninth Festival) báo wù nóng yún chóu yǒng zhòu - thin fog dense cloud weary all day long; ruì nǎo xiāo jīn shòu - borneol is burning out in the golden beast; jiā jiē yòu zhòng yáng - happy festival another Double Ninth Festival; yù zhěn shā chú - jade pillow gauze net; bàn yè liáng chū tòu - midnight cold begins penetrating; dōng lí bǎ jiǔ huáng hūn hòu - east fence hold wine dusk after; yǒu àn xiāng yíng xiù - there's hidden fragrance filled sleeves; mò dào bú xiāo hún - don't say not taking the soul away; lián juàn xī fēng - curtain rowed west wind; rén sì huáng huā shòu - the person is chrysanthemum thin;

渔家傲. 天接云涛连晓雾 作者：李清照 英译：戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红 天接云涛连晓雾， 星河欲转千帆舞。 仿佛梦魂归帝所。 闻天语， 殷勤问我归何处。 我报路长嗟日暮， 学诗谩有惊人句。 九万里风鹏正举。 风休住， 蓬舟吹取三山去！ Where Cloud Waves and Morning Mists Rejoin - to the Tune of Yujia’ao Translated by Gordon Osing and Julia Min Where cloud waves and morning mists rejoin, where Star River's countless sails see the turn, as if my soul had dreamed itself to Heaven, "Whence could you ever return?" it heard to herself kindly spoken. I replied: " Whatever rhymes and vibes I found, The road is long and my days are gone.” The Roc has taken wings towards Heaven. Please don’t cease, my dear Wind, just send my light boat to the Three Fairy Islands. Appreciation: Some editions title this poem "My Dream", because it is written entirely in a state of mind between sleep and waking. Scholars generally attribute the piece to the period in her life just after she fled south before the invaders, because the language in the original departs significantly from that of earlier poems, is more bold and defensively reflective. It’s most likely her real life experience on the sea as she had been following long team of the Royal family and court officials who fled to the sea before returning to land and settled in Ling’an (today’s Hangzhou) in 1130. So this ci was composed then. Notes: ① "tian jie" etc,: the imagery here is completely fanciful, midway between dreaming and waking, a hypnotic state brought on by longing for release from the ordinary anxieties of living in disappointment; ② "jiu wan li": ten thousand li is, of course, figurative, the usual way to say a very long distance; "feng peng ": wind roc, the bird that can mythically fly into Heaven; ③ "peng zhou": fleabane boat, small shell-boat that floats easily on waves; "san shan qu": the Three Fairy Islands; Legend has it in Bohai Bay, something like the Greek Elysian Fields, a place of rest from the cares of the world. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: yú jiā ào – to the tune of Yujia’ao tiān jiē yún tāo lián xiǎo wù - sky connect cloud waves with morning mist, xīng hé yù zhuǎn qiān fān wǔ - Star River is about to turn thousands of sails dance. fǎng fó mèng hún guī dì suǒ -as if dream soul return to god's place. wén tiān yǔ - hear god speak, yīn qín wèn wǒ guī hé chù -graciously ask me return to where. wǒ bào lù zhǎng jiē rì mù -I report roa long sigh day waning, xué shī màn yǒu jīng rén jù -study poetry though have remarkable lines. jiǔ wàn lǐ fēng péng zhèng jǔ -90 thousand li wind roc is lifting its wings. fēng xiū zhù -wind don't stop, péng zhōu chuī qǔ sān shān qù ！- fleabane boat blow to the Three (Fairy) Mountains.

殢人娇·后亭梅花 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：闵晓红 玉瘦香浓， 檀深雪散。 今年恨， 探梅又晚。 江楼楚馆， 云闲水远。 清昼永， 凭栏翠帘低卷。 坐上客来， 尊前酒满。 歌声共， 水流云断。 南枝可插， 更须频剪。 莫直待， 西楼数声羌管。 On the blooming plum trees at Houting - to the tune of Tirenjiao translated by Julia Min Again this year I missed the curdled view of white snow embracing the budding blooms. From jade-like petals tiered on slender branches, Spring has melted the plum trees for her perfume. By the Chu Hotel the river slowly flows down, meeting beyond a sky with some roaming clouds. Behind the green curtains over the tower rails, a quietude finds the long day a useless charade. At last our invited guests arrived in the room, and all the cups are filled to brim full, for now we’ll sing the Flowing Waters Chasing the Clouds. So make the most of it, my friends, if you could when the south branches are loaded with blooms. Pluck some to grace your room, or your hairdo. You don’t want to regret in that sad flute tune from west chamber - the Falling of Plum Blooms. Appreciation: This ci poem is considered as Li Qingzhao’s work as the language and style reads very much like her creation. Geographically, Houting is most likely located on the way from the capital ( today’s Kaifeng, Henan Province) to the young couple’s home at Qingzhou (Shandong Province) as shown on the map. It looks like a beautiful scenic spot marked with a Song dynasty town site there on today’s map. I wouldn’t be surprised if Houting was a popular tourist hotspot during the Song period. If so, this ci could be composed before the fall of the Northern Song, somewhere around 1107 to 1126 when her husband was mayor in a few places not far away from Houting. The poem subjects moves from the scene in the first stanza to the gathering ( most likely her girlfriends from local) in the second stanza, from external to internal, a yin-yang structure through to the end. The theme again is a sentimental sigh over the passing of blooming years, so enjoy what comes your way. The message of escaping to the South and of invaders from the West / North could be sensed, almost in an imperceptible way, reminding us of her similar theme in “’Tis the last flower of spring”, hinting the falling of the Northern Song. So she ask her friends to cherish the moment when they could, God knows what’s next. Notes: 1. Houting: Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation:

忆秦娥 . 临高阁 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：闵晓红 临高阁， 乱山平野烟光薄。 烟光薄， 栖鸦归后， 暮天闻角。 断香残酒情怀恶， 西风催衬梧桐落。 梧桐落， 又还秋色， 又还寂寞。 From the balcony to the bare distance - To the tune of Yiqin’e translated by Julia Min From the balcony to the bare distance, A light mist spreads to the hills and lands. With a late autumn chill it also sends in army horns from the west on the crows’ returns. My chamber now senses no more incense, no more wine, and no more sweet dreams. The wicked wind has robbed the last leaves of parasol trees before a winter more bleak. Appreciation: Notes: yā – the black crows; The symbolic meaning in English sees magic power, intelligence, teamwork and psychic abilities, hence it is often used for names such as Adelaide Crows (Adelaide Football Club). But it represents doomed fate, death and fear in Chinese literature. Jiǎo – horn, referring to the invaders from the Jin State. wú tóng – parasol tree, representing lonely sentiments in late autumn and winter. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: yì qín é . lín gāo gé lín gāo gé， luàn shān píng yě yān guāng báo 。 yān guāng báo ， qī yā guī hòu ， mù tiān wén jiǎo 。 duàn xiāng cán jiǔ qíng huái è， xī fēng cuī chèn wú tóng luò 。 wú tóng luò， yòu hái qiū sè ， yòu hái jì mò 。

庆清朝慢 原作：【宋】李清照 英译：闵晓红 禁幄低张， 雕栏巧护， 就中独占残春。 容华淡伫， 绰约俱见天真。 待得群花过后， 一番风露晓妆新。 妖娆艳态， 妒风笑月， 长殢东君。 东城边， 南陌上， 正日烘池馆， 竞走香轮。 绮筵散日， 谁人可继芳尘？ 更好明光宫殿， 几枝先近日边匀。 金尊倒， 拚了尽烛， 不管黄昏。 Tis the Last Flower of Spring Days - to the tune of Qingqingchaoman translated by Julia Min Tis the last flower of Spring Days Behind the palace red rail in half shade. She’s blooming in joy with gentle grace, Unaware that Spring’s going away. Fresh dews kiss her lips unfolded by Wind, She’s more charming than the rose of May. The Moon speechless envies the sight, And Spring is teased for being delayed. The sun is cosier from town’s south to east, Where dust of fragrance fills the wheels way. Will the lakeside terraces bustle again To beat the glamour after she fades? Come to Bright Palace to see species rare, Early blooms on sunny side, lushy buds behind. Let’s fill the cups again till the last candle light, Who cares if sunset replaced by dark night? Appreciation: The first stanza simply talks about how this last flower of spring is blooming under good care in half shaded sunny area in the Royal Palace. Unaware other flowers of the season are fading away, she stands proud in full bloom like the queen of flowers, as if Spring God would stay forever with her. In the second stanza, the scene expands to the best sunny places in town, the well decorated terraces, the pool sides in front of luxury mansions, … . Even the carriage wheels bring you the fragrance of the flower fair. The interesting feature of this poem works also like a riddle where the whole poem focus on the beauty and sentiments of the flower, but not a line tells the actual name of the flower. The readership is intrigued for a guessing game. The poet applies the situation further to herself, sighing how short her young days would be. What’s next? So why not indulge in the beautiful moment and forget about future loss. From a broader picture of the time, we could associate it with the last chapter of the Northern Song dynasty when the Jin on the north plotted an invasion which resulted in the fall of Song’s capital city. Historians hold the view that the gentlemen’s society were then enjoying a luxury life despite endless battles at the borders, unaware such life style would come to an end. Some politicians of the Court tried new reforms but all too hasty an effort. Being so close to the Throne and a poet of time and tides, Li Qingzhao wrote many poems criticising the social phenomena in her teenage years, a style never lost in her later works. So, this poem could be a warning call to the public about the danger ahead. Notes: 1. “jin”：forbidden place，the Royal Palace； 2. “chou yue”: graceful，beautiful; 3. “ti”：hold up；“dong jun”: the governor of the East, Spring God. The four directions in Chinese culture also represent the four seasons. Spring usually blows east wind as you may know; 4. “xiang lun”: fragrance from the wheels travelled in the flower show; 5.“qi yan”: a luxury banquet held by the Royal Palace; 6. “fang chen”: sweet scent from the bustling traffic dust Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: qìng qīng cháo màn jìn wò dī zhāng ， diāo lán qiǎo hù ， jiù zhōng dú zhàn cán chūn 。 róng huá dàn zhù ， chāo yuē jù jiàn tiān zhēn 。 dài dé qún huā guò hòu ， yī fān fēng lù xiǎo zhuāng xīn 。 yāo ráo yàn tài ， dù fēng xiào yuè ， zhǎng tì dōng jun1 。 dōng chéng biān ， nán mò shàng ， zhèng rì hōng chí guǎn ， jìng zǒu xiāng lún 。 qǐ yàn sàn rì ， shuí rén kě jì fāng chén ？ gèng hǎo míng guāng gōng diàn ， jǐ zhī xiān jìn rì biān yún 。 jīn zūn dǎo ， pīn le jìn zhú ， bú guǎn huáng hūn 。