Tune: “Bells Ringing in the Rain” Sadness of Parting
Liu Yung (987?–1053)
It was at the roadside pavilion that we were to bid adieu.
A sudden evening rain had just come to a lull,
Lugubrious the chirp of cicadas in the chill air.
At the farewell dinner outside the city gate,
We drank in low spirits,
Unable to tear ourselves away at the boatman’s summons.
Hand in hand we gazed at each other’s tear-stained eyes,
Words choked on the verge of utterance,
As we brooded over the misty waves
That swept a thousand tricents away,
And a dusky haze silhouetted against
A wide southern sky.
Parting with a loved one has ever been painful since days of old,
Let alone in the season of bleak autumn.
Where shall I be this evening when I sober up?
On a bank o’ergrown with willows—
The moon waning, the wind of dawn blowing.1
Once parted, year after year must elapse
When to relive pleasant hours and gay scenes
Will be but an illusion,
And even though I have a thousand delicate sentiments,
To whom can I bare my aching heart?
Translated by Jiaosheng Wang
Liu Yung came from the southeastern coastal region of Fukien. He achieved the rank of Presented Scholar in 1034 at the relatively late age of forty-seven but never energetically embarked upon an official career. Liu spent a lot of his early years frequenting the demimonde of Pien-ching (modern K’aifeng), the Northern Sung capital, where he became well known among the courtesans for whom he wrote new lyrics. He is noted for creating the subgenre of long lyrics (man-tz’u). Liu’s works depict urban life and make free use of colloquial language. He was considered by other lyricists to be unconventional and even vulgar, but was also capable of employing highly refined literary language when he felt it appropriate.
1. In the original Chinese, this line is traditionally considered famous for its poignant picturesqueness.