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踏莎行.挑灯看册 (”Reading a Book By Lamplight”) - Lovecraft Country Fan Poem in Classical Chinese
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踏莎行.挑灯看册 (Reading a Book By Lamplight) 挑灯看册,独伴烛光,述世间万般荒唐。 (Reading a book by lamplight, candle only for company, it tells of the world's absurdities.) 日落星出人转兽,贵贱仅以肤色量. (At sunset and when stars rise men turn to beasts, one's worth is measured by the color of one's skin.) 说鬼话狐,孽障重重,心若留正亦成英雄。巾帼须眉无下上,万物唯为情动容。 (Speak of demons and foxes, even with souls burdened by sin the smallest righteousness left behind can render one a hero. Men and women alike, love is the force that moves all things.)
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Parallels between Deadly Class and Jin Yong (金庸) novels
SyFy's Deadly Class is basically an American wuxia. I wonder if anyone has seen it yet, but there are many parallels to Jin Yong novels I had fun spotting, two in particular, Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龙记) and A Deadly Secret (连城诀)。
Here are some parallels:
Marcus Lopez Arguello  -  Is a mix of Di Yun 狄云 and Zhang Wuji 張無忌, like the former, spent time in prison under unjust circumstances, where he is beaten up by his cellmate. Like the latter, is orphaned at an early age which put an end to his idyllic childhood, and ends up caught between two  women who vie for his affections. Like both Di Yun and Zhang Wuji, he has a mix of childlike innocence and hard-earned wisdom.
Saya - Like Zhao Min 赵敏,from a wealthy and prominent background, is in line to inherit a position of power. Clever, dutiful, independent and ambitious.
Maria -  Like Zhou Zhi Ruo 周芷若, from a poor background, orphaned when her entire family was killed, and identifies with Marcus/张无忌 because of their status as outsiders, and is sparked by envy of Saya/赵敏 into acts of vengeance.
Chico - Like Song Qingshu 宋青书, from a prominent background and spoiled from not having to face consequences of his actions, one-sidedly loves Maria/周芷若, which leads to his downfall.
Master Lin -  Like Zhang Sanfeng 张三丰, head of the sect, prominence unchallenged as of yet, but currently has it being challenged by a woman,who is...
Madame Gao - Like Miejue Shitai 滅絕師太, ruthless and eager to ensure she seizes power, but  genuinely acts with conviction on her own set of beliefs. Tries to  manipulate Maria/周芷若.
Chester Wilson - an evil version of Ding Dian 丁典 , spends his time in prison   beating on Marcus/狄云, perversely considers Marcus his "friend"   eventually.
Are there other similarities anyone else has spotted to novels by Jin Yong or someone else? If so, please reply and comment!
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清平乐。物是人非 ("Things") -  Fan Poem in Classical Chinese (Helluva Boss)
Fuck fuck fuck. Classical Chinese poetry is so beautiful and cinematic. I could cry even writing it.
After my first fan poem for Hazbin Hotel, which was written about Charlie. The second one is about Octavia and Stolas' strained relationship.
Yes, I know I have a thing for sad girls. They're a very poetic subject.
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清平乐。物是人非
("Things")
物是人非,闺中女儿悲!
(Things stay the same as the people change, the maiden expresses distress!)
年华为何流似水, 家和破镜般碎?
(Where are the years that flowed away like water? The home once whole, now broken?)
鱼龙舞银花雨,留春何曾如欲?
(Fish and dragons dance*, silver blossoms rain, since when the spring tarried like one wished?)
世事无法如昔,子夜奏儿时曲。
(Everything will never be the same as it was before. A childhood song plays at midnight.)
*Sharp eyed  readers might notice this is a reference to a famous poem by Xin Qiji ( 辛弃疾 ), originally it referred to fish and dragon shaped LANTERNS, but surprisingly fits very well for a land populated by demons that look like every other animal lol.
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Crossing the Sea of Loneliness (鹤冲天 - 过伶仃洋) (Deadly Class) - Fan Poem in Classical Chinese w/Translation
When I first saw Syfy's Deadly Class I came close to crying tears of pure joy. It was a really a tribute to Chinese action cinema/wuxia that got a lot of Chinese culture right and understood the genre's appeal like few Western sources ever did. Surprised that I took this long to write a fan poem in classical Chinese  (probably because I didn't think I was good enough to capture the emotions it stoked in me), but I finally did, and so here it is! This is written in classical Chinese, again, with my personal translations under each line. I wanted to capture the spirit of the show, and I hope I did. Hope you guys notice the allusions I made to the show. The line highlighted in bold is the one that I first came up with, and the image is the one that inspired it.
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鹤冲天 - 过伶仃洋
(Crossing the Sea of Loneliness)
过伶仃洋,叹乱世怪象。
(Crossing the sea of loneliness, lamenting the fallen state of the chaotic world)
登高瞰渺邈 ,问前向。
(From on high I gaze afar, and ask myself: "Whither away"?)
古墓凉亭间, 看吴钩霜雪亮 。
(In a gazebo among the ancient tombs, gazing at a sword whose blade shines like frost and snow.)
记恩不负望,志仿赵燕, 豪情四海名扬。
(Favors done to me I shall repay in kind, like the men of Zhao and Yan*, my gallantry will be known throughout the four seas.)
肝胆照,义薄云天好儿郎。
(True hearts shine,  in youth of honor and righteousness)
女儿为情容,春心漾。
(Just as the Maiden beautifies herself for her beloved)
英雄血,美人泪,各自流,千古唱。
(Heroes shed blood and beauties tears, thus has it been sung since old.)
赶趁年少狂, 切勿空悲,等闲双鬓成了霜。
(Seize your youth, go mad, reach not empty regret, when your temples are white as hoarfrost.)
*Zhao and Yan are two kingdoms in ancient China known for producing many political assassins.
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Verses of Judgment (判词) - 饶美迪(Madison Clements) (Classical Chinese Fan Poem w/Translation)
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判词。饶美迪 (Madison Clements) 子衿年华虽已逝 (School and salad days long they have fled) 寡义之债难还及 (Those I am indebted to by my spite, where can they be?) 恻隐难逃且自问 (I could not flee my conscience, thus myself I inquire) 负人负心终负己 (To betray another, is to betray my heart,and it all comes back to me!) NB: The Chinese translated name I gave Madison Clements is 饶美迪 (Rao May Dee) - not a straight phonetic appropriation this time, 饶 means "to forgive" in Chinese, which links to the idea of "clemency" derived from "Clements". 美迪 means "beautiful epiphany/enlightenment", indicating that she was the only one of the trio who attained any self-awareness of her own nastiness.
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Verses of Judgment (判词) - 何恕惠 (Sophia Hess) (Classical Chinese Fan Poem w/Translation)
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判词。何恕惠 (Sophia Hess) 毋甘沦为叼之肉 (Rather than meat be in another's jaw) 选其行如夜行狼 (You sought to be a wolf of frightful maw) 争冕称王何其苦 (It's a bitter fight to be king of one's domain) 岂不知自胜者强? ("Qui se vincit vincit×", know not this refrain?) ×Latin for "those who conquer themselves conquer", meaning that triumphing over yourself is the true  measure of strength. It was featured in the Disney animated version of Beauty and the Beast as well. NB: The transliterated Chinese name I gave Sophia is 何恕惠 (Huh Shu Hui). In Chinese the surname "何" can mean "where is?" While 恕 is "to forgive" and 惠 is "kindness extended". Together her name can mean "Where is your forgiveness and kindness?"
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Verses of Judgment (判词) - Emma Barnes (薄小艳) (Classical Chinese Fan Poem w/Translation)
To continue with my Worm/Ward Chinese fan poems, Here is the first of three "verses of judgment" for the trio (判词). They're sort of like conclusions drawn for the characters by the author. Like to hear your thoughts on this, and Chinese/Chinese-speaking Worm fans especially! 
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判词。薄小艳 (Emma Barnes) 薄薄薄,情薄义薄命也薄 (O shortness! Short were you on compassion, short were you on justice,and short was your life!) 艳艳艳, 一朝尽红衰翠减 (O beauty! At morning's end red blossoms scatter the yard!) NB: I was doing a series of wuxia-esque Worm translations, I chose to gave the characters Chinese-sounding names that approximate the English rather than direct phonetic translations. In the case above, Emma Barnes has been renamed 薄小艳 (Bo Hsiao Yan) - 小艳 means "little beauty", which she is. However her surname 薄 (Chinese surnames are in front) can evoke 刻薄, “mean”, as well when used in the phrase 轻薄, to denigrate. 薄 can also evoke 命薄 (short-lived or ill-fated). In Chinese there is an idiom "红颜命薄" (women of beauty are doomed) which may telegraph her short life. There is some other wordplay that I included above, the idiom 红衰翠减, to describe flowers and leaves scattered, contains the word 红 meaning red, to fit with Emma being redheaded. Hope everyone also noticed the play on “Gold Morning”!
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八声甘州 - 心宿女侠 - Classical Chinese Fan Poem (Ward)
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八声甘州 - 心宿女侠
("Antares”)
有芳心随梦逞英豪,名门生闺秀
(A maiden from a house great and noble yearns with her heart to be a hero)
耀武即扬威,意气峥嵘,自幼未休。
(Flashing her strength, she displays her power, her spirit majestic from her earliest days)
惨遭魍魉狂虐,心魔更添忧
(She was devastated by monsters without, demons of the heart within)
落于卧病榻,无语天求。
(She was sick and lay abed, not a word she could say)
丹心无需耀眼,侠骨非仰慕,莫惜风头。彩蝶随风逝,天蚕仅丝留。
(A stout heart needs no glamour, nor honor great envy, be more than just your fame. The colorful butterfly is gone with the wind, heaven's silkworm has left but its thread)
一瞬间,山河破碎,欲重来,往过无归咎。
(In a flash, the world is shattered. Starting again, there are none to blame for past misdeeds.)
就此话,儿女英雄,心事悠悠!
(Thus I chronicle, the internal struggles of heroes!)
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Five Poems . Dispatches from Kumandra (五言五首。游苦曼茶国)
So I’ve seen Raya and the Last Dragon, and I try to imagine what an equivalent of China (the “Celestial Dynasty”)would be like in that universe. These are five poems written from the POV of an Ambassador of the Celestial Dynasty in Kumandra. 
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五言五首。游苦曼茶国
自天朝移东南,出使南国,将其景,寄归天朝。
From my ambassadorship in the Southeast,I record my observations for the Celestial Dynasty.
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牙族
军纪如铁谨
金檐清水绕
王侯皆思敏
田间盛绿稻
Fang
Their army is disciplined as iron
Clear water eaves of gold surround
Their rulers agile in thought
Fields verdant with rice abound
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心族
民心宅仁厚
老幼皆重道
仿先贤古圣
龙虹岂不照
Heart
The people are honest and true
Young or old this applies no less
With such imitations of the ancient sages
Amply they the dragons do bless!
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爪族
水上渡轻舟
风起扬彩帆
夜市其斑斓
流连勿忘返
Talon
Piloting light skiffs on the water
The wind rises to unfurl colored sails
The markets bustle nightlong without fail
As you dally there, you may forget to return!
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脊族
山峦峰擎天
翠竹衬粉雪
品如竹心虚
任重如斧铁
Spine
The peaks of their mountains hold up the sky
Green bamboo adorns itself in fine snow
Strong and unyielding as bamboo are their people
Ironclad the duty and honor they show
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尾族
漠地石形奇
十万里狂沙
人心如沙细
菜色味具佳
 Tail
A desert of stone forms strange and bizarre
Ten thousand miles of rolling sand
Fine as sand grains are their people’s love of detail
Their cuisine is year-round in much demand
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沁园春·独室一女 - Classical Chinese Fan Poem (Worm)
As someone who does not peruse or like much superhero media, the online serials Worm and Ward moved me like few cape operas ever did, for reasons I’m still having fun unpacking. As such, I wrote one fan poem for each in classical Chinese style. This one is for Worm. The line in bold is the first thing that came to my mind.
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沁园春·独室一女
("Lone Girl In A Room")
独室一女,校园霸凌,阴影重重。
(Bullies cast shadows on a lone girl's heart)
童年笑声散,昔友成敌。
(Childhood's laughter fades and friends turn foes)
暗中萌生,潜伏怪力。
(Strange latent power grows in the dark)
名门正派? 狐群狗党?是是非非谁能批?
(Call yourself righteous? Call yourself a villain? Who can judge what's right or wrong?)
顺此道,成魔或成仙,从何处起?
(Following this path,does one become a God or Demon? And where does it start to either?)
金人从天而降,
(The golden man falls from the sky)
是祸是福何得分明?
(Is it a blessing or a curse?)
颂女中豪杰,由茧化蝶,遭逢起落,不忘初心。
(I sing of a heroine's metamorphosis, who despite her vicissitudes, never forgot what she wanted to be)
英雄儿女,旧恨心魔,世间因果难预计。
(Of heroes, their old hatreds and demons, causes and effects that none can fathom)
借劝君,看人善莫欺,补偿还及。
(Word to the wise: bully not the meek, and leave no debts unpaid.)
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Anna’s Thoughts
Fan poem set at the end of Frozen 2. I try to examine Anna's thoughts at becoming Queen of Arendelle. Written in four lines of dactylic trimeter, followed by an Alexadrine couplet.
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In the square here our people gather Faces beaming with nary a frown Here to this land my fate I tether As from this day I will bear my crown What happenstance dictated, that it would adorn A brow I long thought unworthy since I was born? What would you say if you were to see Me here, and would you gently deride My diffidence, fearing I won't be The queen that you know I am inside? I guess your faith in me is what I must repay, As you do my faith in you just every day. Thoughts run in me about my wedding And children, just more reasons to live! Exchanging vows tears I'll be shedding As my hand to him I freely give. Those tears won't just be mine, they'll be all those we cried Together, alone, apart, adrift, side by side! How fast flew days a thousand eighty That summer till the fall we did part Fate assigned us both new roles weighty But they're light long as you're in my heart Seeing our parents graves on that dark windblown heath, Wills me to love both harder and stronger than death. For I know to fear death no longer I've seen it up close many a time Its embrace is strong, love's is stronger A force defying reason and rhyme For with love each farewell is never just the end No rift too large to heal, nor injury to mend. So here I gift to you this invite By express - on the wings of the gale And you will come some warm moonlight night At the chosen time, you will not fail For no love between two people can close compare, To my own love for you,  that I know you too share
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滿江紅·周星寥落 - Classical Chinese Fan Poem (Stargirl)
Fan poem for the CW’s Stargirl, written in classical Chinese. Translations are below each line. And the image is the scene from the show that inspired the line in bold below, which was the first line I started from. I had a bit of fun writing this as I tried to incorporate as much imagery of the show’s characters into the poem.
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滿江紅·周星寥落
("The Desolate Stars")
周星 寥落 ,志未酬, 悼前贤谱 。
The desolate stars speak of aspirations crushed and forebears mourned
人已去、宏楼亦空,闻鸱鸺哭。
They are gone, the grand halls lie empty, and the crying of owls is heard
昔日功名化乌有,干年回廊猫履步。
Valiant deeds of yore amount to naught, and the stray cats have paced the corridors for years
狼烟消、仅不过半更,剑入土。
The smoke of battle clears, within just an hour, the sword lies in the dust.
冤家路,定于天?世仇逢,尽是缘?
Be it fate that rivals must one day meet again? Be it destiny to cross paths with our foes?
卧虎暗中哮,藏龙盘旋
The tiger reclines in the dark growling, and the hidden dragon circles above
不将心倚假桃源, 宁股正气留人间
Be not misled by fool's paradises, rather legacies of justice leave
披战甲,直闯冰封关,管路险?
Put on the armor and head for the ice-sealed pass, why heed what perils lie ahead?
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Marcy Wu (望海潮。吴玛溪) - Classical Chinese Fan Poem
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望海潮。吴玛溪
("Marcy Wu")
四环碧水, 干朝古都,犹如寰宇中心。高楼耸立,路皆畅通,快车捷马皆频。
(Azure water on all sides, the ancient capital stands like the centre of the universe. Tall buildings and smooth roads, frequent are all the commutes)
子衿散书香,白砖配绿瓦,乃吾翰林,城若金汤,带甲待令,皆威凛。
(Swish of robes and scent of books, white bricks and green rooftiles, this is our university. Impregnable, warriors standing at command, inspiring awe.)
街头巷尾食锦,以防辣味,先酌内沁。宾馆好客,荐乘天轮,赏夕阳水平浸 。
(The streets ply colorful foods, but cool yourself with a drink to ward off the spiciness later! Hotel service is excellent, get on the giant wheel and watch the horizon as the sun sets.)
君侧服其民,探学海洋洋,为岸是勤。黯然叹,何时落单雁归同林.
(By a king's side I serve the people, plumbing the depths of knowledge with great diligence. I just lament, and wonder when this lone wild goose returns to its flock.)
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5 posts!
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Sasha Waybright (沁园春 - 韦莎莎) - Classical Chinese Fan Poem
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沁园春 - 韦莎莎 ("Sasha Waybright") 铁窗一囚,来历不明,禁于异帮 ( A prisoner behind the iron bars, of unknown origin, in a foreign land) 头披金丝盔,目如狮俯 (Hair adorning like a helmet of gold, gaze of a lioness surveying all) 智媲狡狐,雄奸并处 ( Cunning to match a fox, heroine and villainess both ) 玩谋凶险,待属即宽,金蟾跃圄升兵部 ( Devious in her tactics, benevolent to those under her, the golden toad rose from the cell to lead the army) 殊不知,总总仅为,寻归家路! (Yet who knew, that all she ever sought, was just the road home?) 剑率带甲平乱 (Sword in hand she led warriors to quell) 九州怒民同反官逼 ( The revolts of the people pushing back against the officials.) 叹造化弄人,昔友成敌,相见兵戎,只恨相惜! ( Fate is irony, a friend of yore is now a foe met at swordpoint, and what remained of friendship was just regret. ) 雄师四散, 故里路遥,夕阳断瓦映残楼! (Abandoned by her army, far from home, in the shadow of a ruined tower by the setting sun.) 心生恨,盼兵闯京师,归思尽收! ( Now hate boils in her, she yearns to storm the capital, and home is a thing that can wait.)
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Anne Boonchuy (文小鞍)- Classical Chinese Fan Poem
A recent show I’ve liked is Disney’s Amphibia. Its creator, Matt Braly is of Asian heritage and also puts it in his work, I was thinking - well why not write fanfic that does the same? Hope this draws out other fans especially of Chinese heritage. This is first in a set of three poems, and is written from Anne’s POV.
The line bolded in each poem was the first line that came to mind. And the corresponding image is the scene in the show that inspired it.
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文小鞍 (Anne Boonchuy) 田间寒舍暖被盖 (Among fields, a humble abode, a warm blanket) 萤火灯柔夜风清 (The fireflies' lights are gentle, and the night wind refreshes) 只因 挚友散天际 (Because my close friends are scattered at the ends of the sky) 蛙声难掩相思情 (The croaks of frogs cannot drown my longing.)
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Hazbin Hotel Fan Poem in Classical Chinese: 蝶恋花。倚栏干处恁凝愁
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At some point, after watching a number of superhero shows, I began thinking about how they would be described in wuxia (Chinese martial   arts fantasy) terms, and that led to the fun of writing fan poems for   superhero shows in the form of classical Chinese poetry. I've also written fan poems for the web serials Worm, Ward, the CW's Stargirl and Amphibia.
This is my first for Hazbin Hotel. It's written from Charley's point of view at the start of the short (see screenshot above). Each line is translated below the Chinese text.
Hope to draw out more Chinese/Chinese speaking fans! Please leave comments!
蝶恋花。倚栏干处恁凝愁
(Against the Balcony)
倚栏干处恁凝愁,泪洒血痕,诉我情悠悠。
(Against the balcony I am wracked with sorrow, tears scatter upon blood, as my emotions overflow.)
即投佳人肩淹留,未掩世间苦纷纠。
(Even leaning on my lover's shoulder for a while, the world's strife proceeds without cessation.)
阑珊灯火缀华楼,车水马龙,笙歌未曾休。
(Dazzling lights adorn magnificent buildings, traffic bustles and the music and merriment proceed without delay.)
新人笑来旧人走,难平闺女心中忧。
(There will be new ones to replace the old that have left, but that does not ameliorate this maiden's woes.)
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