王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 2.1–2.5 2.1–2.5 扶南曲歌詞五首 Five Lyrics for the Funan Melody 1. 1. 翠羽流蘇帳， Tasseled curtains with kingfisher feathers Stay unopened at dawn as they sleep in spring. 春眠曙不開。 Shy to rise because of their complexions; 4 Too frail to come to the sound of voices. 羞從面色起， Early at the Zhaoming Palace 4 嬌逐語聲來。 Eunuch envoys of their lord bid them hasten.1 早向昭陽殿， 君王中使催。 2. 2. 堂上青絃動， Up in the hall the blue strings twang, While before the hall the intricate mats are spread. 堂前綺席陳。 A song of Qi– a ballad from Lady Lu; 4 Paired dancers, girls from Luoyang.2 齊歌盧女曲， But he only watches these kingdom-toppling beauties; 4 雙舞洛陽人。 Who can know whom his heart holds dear? 傾國徒相看， 寧知心所親。 1 Zhaoming Palace: a women’s quarters in Han times; used since then as a general term for the quarters of imperial favorites. 2 Lady Lu was a court lady from the time of Emperor Wu武 of the Wei魏 (Cao Cao曹操). She was famous for her musical talents. One piece in her repertoire was a melody from Qi called“The Pheasants Fly at Dawn.” Women from Luo- yang were famous in popular verse for their beauty. Open Access. © 2020 Paul Rouzer, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501516023-002 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 2.1–2.5 2.1–2.5 扶南曲歌詞五首 Five Lyrics for the Funan Melody 1. 1. 翠羽流蘇帳， Tasseled curtains with kingfisher feathers Stay unopened at dawn as they sleep in spring. 春眠曙不開。 Shy to rise because of their complexions; 4 Too frail to come to the sound of voices. 羞從面色起， Early at the Zhaoming Palace 4 嬌逐語聲來。 Eunuch envoys of their lord bid them hasten.1 早向昭陽殿， 君王中使催。 2. 2. 堂上青絃動， Up in the hall the blue strings twang, While before the hall the intricate mats are spread. 堂前綺席陳。 A song of Qi– a ballad from Lady Lu; 4 Paired dancers, girls from Luoyang.2 齊歌盧女曲， But he only watches these kingdom-toppling beauties; 4 雙舞洛陽人。 Who can know whom his heart holds dear? 傾國徒相看， 寧知心所親。 1 Zhaoming Palace: a women’s quarters in Han times; used since then as a general term for the quarters of imperial favorites. 2 Lady Lu was a court lady from the time of Emperor Wu武 of the Wei魏 (Cao Cao曹操). She was famous for her musical talents. One piece in her repertoire was a melody from Qi called“The Pheasants Fly at Dawn.” Women from Luo- yang were famous in popular verse for their beauty. Open Access. © 2020 Paul Rouzer, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501516023-002 22 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 23 3. 3. 香氣傳空滿， A fragrant scent pervades the air, And light from their makeup shines through the screen. 妝華影箔通。 Their songs are heard beyond the celestial guard,1 4 While their dances issue forth from imperial pavilions. 歌聞天仗外， Whither do they return at dusk? 4 舞出御樓中。 To Changle Palace amid the flowers.2 日暮歸何處， 花間長樂宮。 4. 4. 宮女還金屋， Palace ladies return to their gilded chambers, Where they will sleep, afraid once more of the dawn. 將眠復畏明。 As they move into spring, lighter robes are welcome; 4 At midnight, they apply a light layer of makeup. 入春輕衣好， As dawn breaks, they assemble at the front palace: 4 半夜薄妝成。 On jade stairs, the frequent chime of their jade pendants. 拂曙朝前殿， 玉墀多珮聲。 5. 5. 朝日照綺窗， The morning sun shines on their intricate windows; Lovely ladies sit facing the mirror. 佳人坐臨鏡。 They spread eye-black, irked that it is yet too thin; 4 Insert hairpins, annoyed that they’re still askew. 散黛恨猶輕， Dear companions, don’t be in a hurry to go out with them! 4 插釵嫌未正。 I hope you will wait until their spring makeup is done. 同心勿遽遊， 幸待春妝竟。 1 That is, beyond the palace (where the imperial guard is stationed). 2 Changle Palace: A Han era palace hall dating from the reign of Gaozu高祖. 22 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 23 3. 3. 香氣傳空滿， A fragrant scent pervades the air, And light from their makeup shines through the screen. 妝華影箔通。 Their songs are heard beyond the celestial guard,1 4 While their dances issue forth from imperial pavilions. 歌聞天仗外， Whither do they return at dusk? 4 舞出御樓中。 To Changle Palace amid the flowers.2 日暮歸何處， 花間長樂宮。 4. 4. 宮女還金屋， Palace ladies return to their gilded chambers, Where they will sleep, afraid once more of the dawn. 將眠復畏明。 As they move into spring, lighter robes are welcome; 4 At midnight, they apply a light layer of makeup. 入春輕衣好， As dawn breaks, they assemble at the front palace: 4 半夜薄妝成。 On jade stairs, the frequent chime of their jade pendants. 拂曙朝前殿， 玉墀多珮聲。 5. 5. 朝日照綺窗， The morning sun shines on their intricate windows; Lovely ladies sit facing the mirror. 佳人坐臨鏡。 They spread eye-black, irked that it is yet too thin; 4 Insert hairpins, annoyed that they’re still askew. 散黛恨猶輕， Dear companions, don’t be in a hurry to go out with them! 4 插釵嫌未正。 I hope you will wait until their spring makeup is done. 同心勿遽遊， 幸待春妝竟。 1 That is, beyond the palace (where the imperial guard is stationed). 2 Changle Palace: A Han era palace hall dating from the reign of Gaozu高祖. 24 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 25 2.6 2.6 從軍行 Ballad: With the Army They blow the horns to put the troops on the move; 吹角動行人， In a clamor the men begin to stir. 喧喧行人起。 The nomad flutes are shrill, a chaotic whinnying of horses; 4 They vie to cross the waters of the Jin.1 笳悲馬嘶亂， The sun turns to evening at the edge of the desert; The sounds of battle rise from smoke and dust. 4 爭渡金河水。 We will halter the necks of all their great kings, 日暮沙漠垂， 8 Bring them back and requite the Son of Heaven. 戰聲烟塵裏。 盡係名王頸， 8 歸來報天子。 2.7 2.7 隴西行 Ballad of Longxi2 Every ten li he drives his steed; 十里一走馬， Every five li he brandishes his whip. 五里一揚鞭。 A military dispatch from the Protector-General arrives: 4 The Xiongnu are besieging Jiuquan.3 都護軍書至， Flying snow just now over mountains and passes; The beacon-fire posts have been cut off– no smoke rises. 4 4 匈奴圍酒泉。 關山正飛雪， 烽戍斷無烟。 1 Literally, the Metal River, frequently mentioned as a frontier river in poetry. It is likely identical to the modern Hei He (“Black River”) that flows through western Gansu. 2 Longxi: in Gansu. 3 In western Gansu. 4 The poem may be suggesting that the blizzard has prevented the lighting of beacon fires, resulting in the need of the post horse messenger in lines 1–4. 24 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 25 2.6 2.6 從軍行 Ballad: With the Army They blow the horns to put the troops on the move; 吹角動行人， In a clamor the men begin to stir. 喧喧行人起。 The nomad flutes are shrill, a chaotic whinnying of horses; 4 They vie to cross the waters of the Jin.1 笳悲馬嘶亂， The sun turns to evening at the edge of the desert; The sounds of battle rise from smoke and dust. 4 爭渡金河水。 We will halter the necks of all their great kings, 日暮沙漠垂， 8 Bring them back and requite the Son of Heaven. 戰聲烟塵裏。 盡係名王頸， 8 歸來報天子。 2.7 2.7 隴西行 Ballad of Longxi2 Every ten li he drives his steed; 十里一走馬， Every five li he brandishes his whip. 五里一揚鞭。 A military dispatch from the Protector-General arrives: 4 The Xiongnu are besieging Jiuquan.3 都護軍書至， Flying snow just now over mountains and passes; The beacon-fire posts have been cut off– no smoke rises. 4 4 匈奴圍酒泉。 關山正飛雪， 烽戍斷無烟。 1 Literally, the Metal River, frequently mentioned as a frontier river in poetry. It is likely identical to the modern Hei He (“Black River”) that flows through western Gansu. 2 Longxi: in Gansu. 3 In western Gansu. 4 The poem may be suggesting that the blizzard has prevented the lighting of beacon fires, resulting in the need of the post horse messenger in lines 1–4. 26 王右丞集卷之二古詩 Juan 2: Old style poems 27 2.8 2.8 早春行 Ballad: Early Spring1 Purple plum blossom begins to bloom everywhere; 紫梅發初徧， Yellow orioles’ song yet halting and rough. 黃鳥歌猶澀。 Girls from some household break willow branches, 4 They can’t be restrained in their delight of spring. 誰家折楊女， Cherishing the water, they sit and attend to their makeup; Shy of others, they stand hidden in flowers. 4 弄春如不及。 They fear that the wind will blow away the fragrance, 愛水看妝坐， 8 And grieve that the dew dampens their dresses. Through blue gates into a jade bedroom 羞人映花立。 The scented carriage enters when the sun sets. She had gone out to take pleasure, but longed for him even more, 香畏風吹散， 12 Now suppressing her sobs within the colored silk bedcurtains. 8 衣愁露霑濕。 When she longs for him, she always sees him in dreams; Having returned late, she again thinks he is there. 玉閨青門裏， Better to be swallows in the crimson rafters, 日落香車入。 16 Who can nest in pairs in the season of green grass. 游衍益相思， 12 含啼向綵帷。 憶君長入夢， 歸晚更生疑。 不及紅簷燕， 16 雙棲綠草時。 1 The poem falls into two erotic vignettes. The first part (lines 1–8) describes girls out enjoying a spring outing; the second part (lines 9–16) describes a wife separat- ed from her husband who returns to her lonely bedroom after going out to enjoy the weather.