![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Climbing on an Autumn Day to the Temple above the Terrace of Lord Wu for a Distant View, Liu Changqing
An ancient terrace, broken up behind—
An autumn day, gazing at home in my heart.
The men are few who come to this country temple.
Sundered waters are seen through clouds and peaks.
The setting sunbeams slant on the former rampart
As tolls from cold stone bells fill empty woods.
Disheartening, those Southern Dynasty times:
Only the Yangzi’s lasted till today.
秋日登吴公台上寺远眺
古台摇落后，
秋日望乡心。
野寺人来少，
云峰水隔深。
夕阳依旧垒，
寒磬满空林。
惆怅南朝事，
长江独至今。
The terrace is in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, and the lord is Wu Mingche, a general of the southern Chen Dynasty who, like so many high officials during the turbulent Northern & Southern Dynasties period, eventually came to a bad end (in his case, captured by enemies). Liu Changqing is writing about 200 years after his death. Given the “ramparts,” the terrace seems to be some sort of military fortification. Chime-stones were an ancient musical instrument, tuned pieces of rock or jade struck like a xylophone, being used at the temple as their bells.
---L.
An ancient terrace, broken up behind—
An autumn day, gazing at home in my heart.
The men are few who come to this country temple.
Sundered waters are seen through clouds and peaks.
The setting sunbeams slant on the former rampart
As tolls from cold stone bells fill empty woods.
Disheartening, those Southern Dynasty times:
Only the Yangzi’s lasted till today.
秋日登吴公台上寺远眺
古台摇落后，
秋日望乡心。
野寺人来少，
云峰水隔深。
夕阳依旧垒，
寒磬满空林。
惆怅南朝事，
长江独至今。
The terrace is in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, and the lord is Wu Mingche, a general of the southern Chen Dynasty who, like so many high officials during the turbulent Northern & Southern Dynasties period, eventually came to a bad end (in his case, captured by enemies). Liu Changqing is writing about 200 years after his death. Given the “ramparts,” the terrace seems to be some sort of military fortification. Chime-stones were an ancient musical instrument, tuned pieces of rock or jade struck like a xylophone, being used at the temple as their bells.
---L.