I find it a great way to practice writing Chinese classical poetry by picking a poem of ones liking, and then, taking it into a new physical and emotional space while making allusion to certain elements of the original poem. In such a way, one starts dialogue with a great master. So, here, the master poet is 辛棄疾.
流水弄石舞樹,
高山拓谷生蟬，
无弦亦可頌華年,
无弦亦可頌華年,
歌静蛙聲點點
七八首詩天外.
七八首詩天外.
两三壺酒堂前.
曾年騷客夢猶在,
曾年騷客夢猶在,
柳暗花明重見.
AC’s version
明月別枝惊鵲,
AC’s version
明月別枝惊鵲,
清風半夜鳴蟬.
稻花香里說丰年,
稻花香里說丰年,
聽取蛙聲一片.
七八个星天外,
七八个星天外,
两三點雨山前.
舊時茅店社林邊,
舊時茅店社林邊,
路轉溪橋忽見.
My version,
1 濃雲敝月忽弱, Abruptly, heavy clouds had obscured the moon.
2 輕微水滴靜蟬, And light rain hushing up the cicadas.
3 酒語自吟憶當年, Self-muttering of inebriated words to recall ye days of olde,
4 雨後蛙聲纏綿. The rain stops but the frogs still cling on to their incessant calls.
5 七八亂糟天外, Bringing ruckus the world’s edge and beyond,
6 两三杯嫦娥餞, Two three cups more offered before the Moon Goddess departs.
7 只是今宵愚翁幻, If only just tonight’s fantasy of an old befuddled,
8 夢醒懷舊難眠. The dream shatters but thoughts of yore kept me from my slumber.
1 This sets up for the scenario of the next line to explain the reason for the presence of clouds.
2 Cicadas are symbols of rebirth, transformation and renewal. In Japan, it symbolizes summer. It has a special symbolizing the noisiness of the insect when depicting certain movie scenes.
3 Getting self-pity and consolation through alcohol.
4 Frogs usually croak after a night of rain as it is the appropriate time to mate as streams are filled with water. Of course, this does not happen in the urban areas anymore. Their croaking can reach a crescendo of several levels of decibels in discomfort. I remember my childhood days when my hometown still had patches of a rural setting. This is the crucial line of the poem.
5 The croaking represents the exaggeration of the tumultuous past.
6 This line was inspired by the story of Pigsty in the story of the Monkey King in his former days as the heavenly marshal who tried to take liberties with the Goddess of the Moon in his intoxicated state. As a result, he was banished to the mortal world and in his state, he mistakenly found himself in the womb of a sow and hence was born with features and personalities of a pig.
Friday, August 18, 2023
My version,
1 濃雲敝月忽弱, Abruptly, heavy clouds had obscured the moon.
2 輕微水滴靜蟬, And light rain hushing up the cicadas.
3 酒語自吟憶當年, Self-muttering of inebriated words to recall ye days of olde,
4 雨後蛙聲纏綿. The rain stops but the frogs still cling on to their incessant calls.
5 七八亂糟天外, Bringing ruckus the world’s edge and beyond,
6 两三杯嫦娥餞, Two three cups more offered before the Moon Goddess departs.
7 只是今宵愚翁幻, If only just tonight’s fantasy of an old befuddled,
8 夢醒懷舊難眠. The dream shatters but thoughts of yore kept me from my slumber.
1 This sets up for the scenario of the next line to explain the reason for the presence of clouds.
2 Cicadas are symbols of rebirth, transformation and renewal. In Japan, it symbolizes summer. It has a special symbolizing the noisiness of the insect when depicting certain movie scenes.
3 Getting self-pity and consolation through alcohol.
4 Frogs usually croak after a night of rain as it is the appropriate time to mate as streams are filled with water. Of course, this does not happen in the urban areas anymore. Their croaking can reach a crescendo of several levels of decibels in discomfort. I remember my childhood days when my hometown still had patches of a rural setting. This is the crucial line of the poem.
5 The croaking represents the exaggeration of the tumultuous past.
6 This line was inspired by the story of Pigsty in the story of the Monkey King in his former days as the heavenly marshal who tried to take liberties with the Goddess of the Moon in his intoxicated state. As a result, he was banished to the mortal world and in his state, he mistakenly found himself in the womb of a sow and hence was born with features and personalities of a pig.
Friday, August 18, 2023
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