Tune: “Sand of Silk-Washing Brook” A Spring Morning1
Ch’in Kuan (1049–1100)
A suggestion of chill pervades the little bower,
The haze of dawn sulky as though it were deep autumn.
On the painted screen, thin mist hovering over a running brook—
A scene tranquil and serene.
Fallen petals flying at ease—ethereal like dreams;
Mizzling rain in an endless stream—fine as sorrow.
The jeweled curtain hung up idly on a little hook of silver.
Translated by Jiaosheng Wang
Ch’in Kuan became a Presented Scholar in 1085. He served as an editor in the imperial library and an officer of the bureau of compilation. He was demoted when his sponsor, Su Shih (see selection 127), fell from power in 1095. Ch’in is especially noted for perfecting the poetic language of the lyric without disregarding its musical requirements.
1. In the opinion of the critic Wang Kuo-wei (see selection 121), this is one of the most noteworthy of Ch’in Kuan’s short lyrics.
Tune: “Perfumed Garden” Bidding Adieu
Ch’in Kuan
Mountains wreathed in wisps of light cloud;
Withered grass stretches to meet the far horizon.1
Muted the sound of bugles on the gate tower;
Ready to depart, a boat moored at the river’s edge.
How many things bygone at the Fairy Pavilion
Return to mind in a misty haze,
As listlessly we drain our cups to bid adieu!
Beyond the setting sun, a scattering of crows in the cold air
Are winging above a stream
That winds round a solitary village.2
Heart-rending this moment of separation
When the scented bag is tenderly given away as a memento,
And the silk girdle untied in token of farewell.3
All this, however, has but earned me the name of a fickle lover,
A drifter in the Green Mansions.4
Once parted, who can say when we’ll meet again?
On my coat and sleeves are stains of tears shed in vain.
It grieves me to see the lofty city-walls
Receding from view in the lurid lights of evening.
Translated by Jiaosheng Wang
1,2. These lines in the original Chinese are widely recited.
3. The scented bag was worn at his waist by a man as a mark of affection for the girl he loved, and the silk girdle worn by the girl had a knot which she would cut should the romantic relation come to an end.
4. A euphemism for brothels.