|
T of C
Home |
My Work |
Hand- books |
Qin as Object |
Qin in Art |
Poetry / Song |
Hear, Watch |
Play Qin |
Analysis | History |
Ideo- logy |
Miscel- lanea |
More Info |
Personal | email me search me |
| QSDQ ToC ; Other poetry: Folio 18 / / Folio 19B / Folio 20A / Folio 20B | 首頁 |
|
Qin Poems, I B
Qinshu Daquan Folio 19 B (V/424-443) 1 |
詩上，乙
琴書大全十九卷，乙 |
詠琴 Declamations on the Qin
六十六首 66 in number (N.B.: there only seem to be 64)
In the Complete Tang Poetry Li's poem is quoted somewhat differently:
On the south slopes of Mount Yi (near Qufu) stands a solitary paulownia —
its graceful boughs coil and wheel like rings.
Its roots clasp vermilion rock,
its trunk thrusts upward, brushing azure clouds.
Above, phoenixes and luan birds nest in its shade;
below, deer wander in peaceful herds.
In spring it blooms warm and lush;
in autumn, its leaves fall cool and drifting.
Sweet dew moistens its fragrant sheen;
aged moss patterns its bark in shadowed depth.
The craftsman turns, and marvels—
such wondrous timber hides within!
He fells it — ding ding echoes through the valley,
the sound heard faintly beyond the mountain.
He shapes from it a noble qin,
and dedicates it to Lord Chonghua.
When the banquet ends and the silk strings are slackened,
stroke the qin, intone Southern Breezes.
Then all people, Chinese or not, will join in harmony,
and Heaven and Earth will blend in radiant mist.
All creatures follow their nature;
all realms abide in spring.
Every thing is precious in its proper season;
when the time is met, the vital qi expands.
The worthy minister needs a worthy lord —
their joy becomes as fish in water.
Two Dukes aided King Xuan of Zhou,
subduing the wild and restoring the fields.
Three heroes sustained the Han,
diverting the road of mighty Qin.
When time accords with will,
transformation works as if by spirit.
Fine wood, true in substance,
serves equally for axle or wheel.
Set it up — it forms beam and rafter;
hollow it — it ferries across the ford.
Having borne the power of creation,
it repays Heaven and Earth’s grace.
How unlike the pine in the ravine,
which year by year is cut for firewood.
You, (qin), possess the tone of the Primal Beginning,
and stand apart from Zheng and Wei.
For me, harmonize the Original Breath,
returning again to the pure Great Antiquity.
Do not unloose indulgent sounds
to flatter the hearts of the worldly.
Translation with assistance from ChatGPT.
Benjamin Britten used this translation for his "The Old Lute". Of the two instruments mentioned at the end (qiang di and Qin zheng) the latter was a version of the other Chinese long zither, the still-popular guzheng.
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1
Qin Poems, Part I A
There is further information in the
Preface. Folio 19 is here divided into two parts for convenience; Part IA ends just before the third entry on the top half of V/424. (V/...) refers to page numbers in Vol. V of Qinqu Jicheng.
(Return)