Sunday, May 30, 2021

A Night Affair - 夜情


1 舊曲暗傳一聲愁 An old melody came, carrying a sigh of sadness,
2 驚破夜半靜高樓 Midnight quietude in the high tower startled.
3 橫音何來亂我心 Where is this traverse sound that is messing up my heart?
4 唯見皎月照船頭 All I can see is the bright moon shining over a boat’s prow.

5 莫歸夢鄉舉三杯 Return not to hometown dreams but to thee - three cups raised,
6 與同嬋娟醉共遊 But with Lady Moon, together a boating we shall go.
 7 江水銀閃映花顏 A winsome face reflected upon the shimmering waters of silver,
8 明朝相別難幾有 Inevitable is the parting in the morn - what more chances do we have?

3. “traverse sounds” - made from a traverse/horizontal flute.

5. We don't know if the moon is telling the author or it is the other way round. Even the next line offers no clue as Chinese like to express themselves in the third person.

6. Personification of the moon as a pretty girl. 遊 go about in leisure frolicking, cruising etc. However, since line 4 mentions a boat, it would be apt to translate here as “boating”


7. “flower face”, beautiful looking like a flower

Wednesday, May 26, 2021



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