船頭夜釣孤燈前 was the inspirational line. However, I could not cap it and so I
tried to give it a rest by doing a 5-character version with no capping. The line became 船頭漁歌聲 and it was a breeze. I was able to complete the one stanza within an hour. However, by the time after many revisions, refinements, and the addition of three more stanzas, the theme was completely different.
01 漁歌漂來驚 Startled by a drifting fisherman’s
02 觸起往日情 Stroking up memories of a love of long ago.
03 楚天七斗伴 The seven stars of the Big Dipper, a companion to the Southern sky,
04 玄武獨流星 One lone shooting star in the north.
05 若棄金風冷 If the cold of the golden wind could be abandoned,
06 豈有玉露明 How would jade dewdrops be in sparkles?
07 左右牛郎担 Left and right, the Cowherd shouldered their burden,
08 上下織女鳴 All around the Spinning Maid, twittering abounds.
09 鵲橋年一渡 Upon the Magpie Bridge, each year of one crossing,
10 蘭夢將許成 An orchid dream about to be allowed.
11 飛袖相擁淚 Sleeves a swirled as they embraced in tears,
12萬語却無聲 Countless words uttered without sound.
13 佳期時光速 Our beloved times are always too short to last,
14 可恨鶯啼醒 Spiteful is the mockingbird awaketh from my dream,
15 銀河盡難數 I tried counting the innumerable Milky Way,
16 煥爛醉浮萍 But too dazzling; inebriating this floating weed.
03 - 04. 楚天 – The State of Chu is situated in the south. 玄武 means the dark warrior, the God of the North. What these two lines mean, is that a shooting star is seen arcing on the top of the Big Dipper.
05 – 06. Attributes of autumn.
07. The Cowherd was carrying their two children in baskets hung at the ends of the pole as he chased his wife up into the heavens as she was forcibly taken by the celestial guards.
08. At their once a year reunion, magpies form a bridge for them to cross the Milky Way.
10. Literally, “orchid dream”. An allusion from story of a concubine of a duke in the time of Warring States. She dreamt that an angel had given her a son. Later the Duke, favoured both the mother and son greatly. Thus, it can mean “a good omen”, “greatly favored” and a euphemism for a pregnant woman.
12. Ambiguous. No word can convey their feelings; too many and not knowing where to start or happiness in preventing them.
16. As duckweed has no roots, they are at the mercy of the water current, i.e. someone with no useful goal in life – a dandy.
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