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Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Where Chao Chun Had Gone Before - 曾經昭君路


I was just doodling on my calligraphy practise and my mind wandered into the lyrics of 昭君怨, "王昭君 - 悶坐…"

1 雪山將近草原家 The snow mountains are nearing and home is where the grasslands are,
2 雙親拜別淚顏灑 I knelt before my parents, in tears, to say goodbye.
3 漢女曾經路此過 Once upon this road, a maid of Han had passed before me,
4 馬蹄聲悶夕陽下 The sound of galloping hooves smothered me under the setting sun.

1 “snow mountains” can mean the Himalayas as known to Tibetans.

2 “to kneel before the parents” is the utmost filial piety children can show thanks to parents for their upbringing.  Here we don't know who is in greater sobs, the parents or her.

3 “Maid of Han” refers to 王昭君. Now we know the person is not returning home but to make a new home there. At the same time, this event must have taken place during the Tang Dynasty when “imperial princess” were married off to Tibetans as marriage diplomacy. Most probably, refers to Princess Wencheng.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Zhaojun

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Wencheng

4 Most probably setting up camp as dusk approached.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022




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