national poetry month day 9

[extemporally]

Today's post is MULTIMEDIA!

水调歌头

苏轼

丙辰中秋欢饮达旦，大醉作此篇，兼怀子由。

明月几时有？
把酒问青天。
不知天上宫阙，
今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，
又恐琼楼玉宇，
高处不胜寒,
起舞弄清影，
何似在人间。

转朱阁，
抵绮户，
照无眠。
不应有恨，
何事偏向别时圆。

人有悲欢离合，
月有阴晴圆缺，
此事古难全。
但愿人长久，
千里共婵娟。

Shui Diao Ge Tou

Will a moon so bright ever arise again?
Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.
I don't know where the palace gate of heaven is,
Or even the year in which tonight slips by.
I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I
Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade
Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.
I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.
From life endured among men how far a cry!

Round the red pavilion
Slanting through the lattices
Onto every wakeful eye,
Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why
Insist in time of separation so to fill the sky?
Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;
The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is all, is less.
Perfection was never easily come by.
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!

- Su Shi (trans. A. Ayling & D. Mackintosh)

Also:
thoughts on translation thereof - three different translations of a verse!
the inimitable Faye Wong singing it

Comments

[lemniciate.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I grew up listening to the original version of the song--邓丽君 is one of my mother's favourites. I wish I could understand the Chinese well enough to appreciate the lyrics more!

(thanks for doing the daily posts, btw! :D)

[laiqualaurelote.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD I REMEMBER I USED TO LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. Now desperately trying to find an mp3 version of it.

[forochel.livejournal.com]

I remember ... we had to learn this in P4. D: but omg faye wong~~


also I'm so glad I understand chinese because then I won't have to rely on a translation. they always miss something out.

[ex-oddishly.livejournal.com]

I've had this open in a tab ever since you posted it, you know. It is so pretty!

Just thought I'd mention <3333333