Shui Tiao Ko Tou
Friday, September 12, 2008 5:09Chinese people like to express their love by using the Moon, so there are a lot of poetries with the topics of the Moon. The Moon represents the characteristics of lustration, simple but elegant, peaceful and bright, which are also the characteristics of Chinese people. The moon also represents completeness and satisfactory to Chinese people, so we normally get together with our family on Mid-Autumn Day (中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié).
One of the most famous poetry of the Moon is <Shui Tiao Ko Tou> (水调歌头Shuǐdiàogētóu) by Sushi (苏轼). Sushi (苏轼) (1037-1101) was a statesman of the Northen Song (960-1127) of China, who was exiled twice due to his political leanings, which went against that of the reformer Wang An Shi (1021-1086). According to folk lore, the poem, entitled “Shui Tiao Ko Tou” (水调歌头Shuǐdiàogētóu), was composed during one of his exiles. Sushi (苏轼), or Su Dongpo as he is more commonly known, saw the moon and thought of home, or so they say.
水调歌头
Shuǐdiàogētóu
Shui Tiao Ko Tou
苏轼
明月几时有，
Míngyuè jǐ shí yǒu
Will a moon so bright ever arise again?
把酒问青天。
Bǎ jiǔ wèn qīngtiān.
Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.
不知天上宫阙
Bù zhī tiānshàng gōngquè
I don’t know where the palace gate of heaven is,
今夕是何年。
Jīnxī shì hénián
Or even the year in which tonight slips by.
我欲乘风归去,
Wǒ yù chéng fēng guī qù,
I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I
又恐琼楼玉宇，
Yòu kǒng qióng lóu yù yǔ,
Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade
高处不胜寒，
Gāo chù bú shèng hán,
Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.
起舞弄清影，
Qǐ wǔ nòng qīngyǐng
I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.
何似在人间。
Hé sì zài rénjiān
From life endured among men how far a cry!
转朱阁，
Zhuǎn zhū gé
Round the red pavilion
低绮户，
Dī qǐ hù
Slanting through the lattices
照无眠。
Zhào wú mián
Onto every wakeful eye,
不应有恨，
Bù yīng yǒu hèn
Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why
何事长向别时圆。
Hé shì cháng xiàng bié shí yuán
Insist in time of separation so th fill the sky?
人有悲欢离合，
Rén yǒu bēi huān lí hé,
Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;
月有阴晴圆缺，
Yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē,
The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is al, is less.
此事古难全。
Cǐ shì gǔ nán quán.
Perfection was never easily come by.
但愿人长久，
Dàn yuàn rén cháng jiǔ
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
千里共婵娟。
Qiān lǐ gong chán juān.
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!
This poetry is also written into a song, sang by Deng Lijun and Faye Wong (Wangfei), which is as beautiful as the poetry.
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It’s weird for foreign guys to deeply understand ancient chinese poems. Anyway i would appreciate your effect on spreading chinese culture worldwide.
By the way, r u the cutie in your flikr album?
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!
To Charles:
Actually we are not pushing foreigners to deeply understand Chinese poem, to be honest, even Chinese guys cannot understand them deeply, but we just want to spread this culture to them, it will also be successful if foreigners can feel the poem and also know some knowledge about them or understand what is poem look like.
I think the cutie you mean is not me, she is my friend who was in the same trip with me. I’m not in the album, I like taking pictures of the others:)
To 孙空空
This is the most famous and important sentence of this poem, beautiful and attractive, everyone’s wish. You got it!
可惜今天天气不好，看来月亮是看不到了
没关系,心里有就好:)