Tuesday, 22 November 2022

lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
[TN: the reunion poems]

Ao
A single sheet of flowered paper, clouds dispersed on blue—
Redolent of black ink just as if it still was fresh.
My emptiness increases, filling my eyes with misery.
I cannot see three mountains nor that indistinct person.
The setting moon shines on my clothes—tonight I will be dreaming
Of flowers scattering and chirping birds from last year’s spring.
The red boudoir is even more a place for anxiety:
Above the window, spiderwebs—with how much dust upon them?

Beautiful Woman
Depressed at our auspicious time, alone within a dream.
In Wuling the appearance of spring has reached its end in vain.
I long to know when parted how to stubbornly endure:
There only are just bits of news—for us, there’s no connection.
With anxious mien and eyebrows raised, I stare at the shallow green
As tracks of tears invade my cheeks, falling down light red.
These carriage wheels pause here for now with this descendent of kings—
Tomorrow I will hurry west and he will face the east.

一纸华笺洒碧云,
馀香犹在墨犹新。
空添满目凄凉事,
不见三山缥缈人。
斜月照衣今夜梦,
落花啼鸟去年春。
红闺更有堪愁处,
窗上虫丝几上尘。〈翺〉

惆怅佳期一梦中,
武陵春色尽成空。
欲知离别偏堪恨,
只为音尘两不通。
愁态上眉凝浅绿,
泪痕侵脸落轻红。
双轮暂与王孙驻,
明日西驰又向东。〈美人〉

Lost in translation: Nong wants to endure her “resentment” at their separation. An “auspicious time” is one for a wedding or, by extension, any tryst. I’ve touched on this before, but “go/return west” is a euphemism for dying, which for someone already a ghost can probably be understood as “return to the underworld.”

I like how in both her poems, Nong responds to and advances Ao’s images. Her last line reminds me of “Unwelcome, even though here he’s facing east.

---L.

About

Warning: contents contain line-breaks.

As language practice, I like to translate poetry. My current project is Chinese, with practice focused on Tang Dynasty poetry. Previously this was classical Japanese, most recently working through the Kokinshu anthology (archived here). Suggestions, corrections, and questions always welcome.

There's also original pomes in the journal archives.

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