#chinese classical poetry

[leahsfiction]

currently reading from this blog series by Elizabeth Smithrosser (h/t @jiggit)

[mashaly1986]

Robotime Rolife Nanci Chinese Classical Poetry Blind Box Action Figures Doll Toys Surprise Box Girls Toys for Children Friends

The Robotime Rolife Nanci Chinese Classical Poetry Blind Box Action Figures are a delightful collection of surprise dolls inspired by traditional Chinese culture and classical poetry. Each blind box contains a beautifully crafted Nanci doll, dressed in elegant outfits reflecting Chinese historical themes and poetic elements. These action figures are designed with intricate details, showcasing the artistry of ancient Chinese culture in a modern, playful way. Perfect for children and collectors alike, the blind box adds an element of surprise as you never know which unique figure you'll get. Ideal as a gift for girls or friends, these doll toys make for a fun and educational experience, blending traditional culture with modern toy trends. Perfect for playtime or display, they are an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys collectible figures with cultural significance.

[yourcozylibrary]

"Love never goes the way we want, Love is always random"

—Lin Mufan, my Lethal man

[fateandloveentwined]

poetry lines befitting MCS and XJY

These are mostly chinese tang shi and song ci poetry quotes, with a great biased amount from Su Shi because OP doesn't know better. Crude, 5-minute english translations below. There are lines I semi-made up or adapted from fandom/cpop songs (that is, most of Xiao Jingyan's lines), ngl OP is rather embarrassed of them because they aren't good at all looking back now but we'll just leave them here or else XJY would end up with zero quotes.

梅长苏 Mei Changsu

想那日束髪从军，想那日霜角辕门，想那日挟剑惊风，想那日横槊凌云。 ——夏完淳

Think to the day I tied back my hair and enlisted. Think to the day the horn rang at the frostbitten tents, think to the day I danced my sword making the sound that deafens the wind. Think to the day I took to the lance, and it pierced through the skies, rising higher than the clouds. — Xia Wanchun

将士百战身名裂。 向河梁、回头万里，故人长绝。 易水萧萧西风冷，满座衣冠似雪，正壮士、悲歌未彻。 ——辛弃疾

The warrior fights a hundred battles, yet what remains is his severed reputation. He looks to the bridge over the river, thousands of miles back, past acquaintances forever gone. In another life, over the howling of the west wind and the cold Yi rivers, the banquet sits, clothes adorned in snowlike white. The courageous man strides through the blizzard, the song of lament never ceasing. — Xin Qiji

零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。 ——陆游

The plum blossoms wither and drift to the ground, crushed into earthly soil and dust. The prevailing fragrance is what remains. — Lu You

亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。 ——屈原

So long as this is what my heart longs for and treasures, though I die nine deaths, my heart does not regret. — Qu Yuan

君臣一梦，今古空名。 ——苏轼

Lords and lieges ebb into nothing but a dream; in the river of time transcending present and past vain titles remain, cast into the void. — Su Shi

无波真古井，有节是秋筠。 ——苏轼

The heart is at peace like the ancient well that does not ripple; the integrity is as the autumn bamboos, steadfast and unfaltering. — Su Shi

舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 ——苏轼

The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. — Su Shi

对一张琴，一壶酒，一溪云。 ——苏轼

Facing but a guqin, a jug of wine, a stream of cloud. — Su Shi

江山如画，是我心言。 ——风起时

The rivers and mountains of the kingdom outstretches before me, as moving as in art: this is my heart’s will. — from the song “Feng Qi Shi”, when the wind blows

战骨碎尽志不休，冰心未改血犹殷。 ——改自《赤血长殷》、王昌龄

Bones completely crushed from the battle, yet aspirations unwavering. The heart has not changed; the blood flows red still. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red, and poet Wang Changling

袖手妙计权倾变，敛眸笑谈意了然。 ——改自《赤血长殷》

With folded arms, he devises labyrinthine strategies. The sceptre of power sways and shifts. He shrouds his gaze modestly, and in conversations of small smiles, he discerns the intention of men. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

萧㬌琰 Xiao Jingyan

潜龙一朝御风翔，长歌挽弓射天狼。 ——《长喑》

The submerged dragon rises one day to ride the winds. Singing high and long; the bow is drawn pointed at the invading Sirius. — from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

挑灯殿阙思悄然，闻钤行宫寝无眠。 ——改自白居易

Awashed in the raised lamps of the imperial palace, thoughts whisper in grievance. The bell rings at the Jiu’an grounds, and he lies abed sleepless. — adapted from The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Bai Juyi

驰骋沙场繁华梦，谈笑鸿儒君臣纲。 ——改自《致陛下书》、刘禹锡

Dreams soar in the flurrying gallops of the battlefield, flourishing dreams of splendour and joy. In pleasant dialogue with scholars, civility obliges polite smiles into the etiquette of lords and lieges. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty, and Liu Yuxi

铁马并辔封疆，几回魂梦游；更鼓落夜未央，笔下兴亡断。 ——取自《长喑》、《赤血长殷》

Armoured horses riding in parallel at the borderlands — how many times has the soul wandered to such dreams of the past. The hourly drums sound ceaseless across the long night; under the emperor's brush, the fate of prosperity and declination writes. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here, and “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

揽尽山河只手倾，昂冕袖手瞰苍生。 ——改自《长喑》

The future of his kingdom sweeps into a tilt of his hand. With crown upheld, he folds his arms in his sleeves awatching humanity. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

咫尺抚眉峰，万丈叠远峰；梦底枕笑纹，惊风掀水纹。 ——《致陛下书》

Up close, the furrowed brows are smoothed. Ten thousands of feet stretch before him, converging into mountains at a distance. In the deepest dreams, the markings of a smile lie; he stirs up the wind which marks and rips tides in the tumultuous waters. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty

Two (three) things to note:

My dying obsession with Su Shi, sorry I can’t help it that perhaps over half of the all the poetry I know is from him;

To be really fair, my favourite description of Mei Changsu is 运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外, used in describing Zhang Liang in Si Maqian's Records of the Grand Historian. He orchestrates masterplans in the tent of the army; he determines the victory of the battle from afar, thousands of miles from the front.

As for my favourite depiction of Lin Shu, it is definitely Su Shi’s description of Cao Cao: 舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. Xin Qiji’s verse above just fits the entire story of Mei Changsu so much, it deserves a mention.

I was assembling/making these lines up for something back then and so just listed whatever came to mind (for reasons I know not I kept on listing stuff for MCS, but maybe XJY was the typical good emperor kind of person so wasn't as inspiring coming up with quotes for him).

If there are lines of poetry you find really befitting the two characters, we're more than interested starting a thread here just for that purpose.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

So long as we assume (as most people did) that composing poetry and quoting classical literature are the best guides to administrative talent, China can fairly be said to have developed the most rational selection processes for state service known to history.*

*When Britain reorganized its civil service in the 1880s it introduced self-consciously similar examinations, testing bright young men on their knowledge of Greek and Latin classics before sending them off to govern India, and even now British civil servants are still known as mandarins. Nineteenth-century conservatives saw exams as part of a sinister plot to "Chinesify" Britain.

"Why the West Rules – For Now: The patterns of history and what they reveal about the future" - Ian Morris

[moononmyfloor]

A Compilation of Chinese Period drama OSTs that are inspired by Classical Poetry- Part 3

Part 1, Part 2

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More in Confirmed List

8. The Long River

"Life Passes Like a Dream (浮生若梦)" (Ending theme) by Li Bai, performed by Wang Zhenhua

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9. Oh My General (2017)

Yang Lin [杨蔺] - Pride of the Fishermen [渔家傲] by Fan Zhongyan

I couldn't find a way to share an mp3, but you can find it here and listen from there.

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10. Dream of the Red Chambers (1987)

Source

Source

Sadly I couldn't find any other songs he composed based on the original poems for the drama, except the one below. If you know more, please do share! 🥺 🙏

Burial of Flowers

A famous cover by Tong Liya

I highly recommend listening to this chilling cover done for the kiddie drama version of Red Chambers as well.

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11. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994)

滚滚长江东逝水 Gǔngǔn Chángjiāng Dōngshì Shuǐ (The Billowing Yangtze River Flows East) by Ming Dynasty poet Yang Shen, performed by Yang Hongji

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短歌行 Duǎngē Xíng (A Short Song) by Cao Cao; performed by Yang Hongji

Extra: Rendition of the same scene in Three Kingdoms (2010) with Eng translation and in Advisors Alliance (2017)

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子夜四时歌 Zǐyè Sìshí Gē (The Midnight Song) Lyrics adapted from a Southern Dynasties era poem; performed in a Wu accent. Played during Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang's wedding scene in episode 43. Source

A translated fanvid

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七步诗 Qībù Shī (The Seven Steps Poem) by Cao Zhi; performed by Liu Huan

(Aka the Bean Poem. Here's a nice comparison of the same scene in different dramas by another Tumblr user!)

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丈夫歌 Zhàngfū Gē (A Song for Men) by Luo Guanzhong; performed by Lü Jianhong

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There are more but this is all I was able to find :(

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12. The Advisors Alliance (2017)

In the same spirit (their version of Duan Ge Xing is already shared above),

十五从军征 At Fifteen I Joined the Army on Expedition by unknown Han dynasty poet, performed by Jin Yushan (金语衫) (not sure, Wikipedia says Jin Yubin) Here's a cartoon version as well.

The thumbnail of the vid is incorrect for some reason btw. It's from AA not 3K.

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怨歌行Yuan Ge Xing (Song of Regret) by Ban Jieyu, performed by Yeung Tung & Lu Moyi

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13. My Fair Princess (1998)

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14. Shaolin Wendao (2016)

Not a poem, but the ost is made out of the Mahayana Buddhist Sutra Da Bei Zhou/Great Compassion Mantra/Nilakantha Dharani.

This was one of the first songs I have listened on YouTube, even before I started watching Cdramas etc. It has always brought me great sense of calm and peace. Only recently, more than like 5 years later I finally found out where it is from.

Da Bei Zhou (大悲咒) by Jing Shan Yuan (敬善媛)

The scene from drama

Full ost:

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15. Journey to the West (2011)

Similarly, the opening ost was taken from the mantra of the Mahayana Buddhist scripture Heart Sutra.

Xin Jing (心经) performed by Yang Xiaolin

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My other posts

[thistransient]

On the way to breakfast today a random old guy wearing a bandana looked at me and loudly recited a line of Tang Dynasty poetry. I knew it was poetry because of his cadence, which also meant I was not going to be able to figure out the characters on my own, so I asked the brekkie shop boss lady if I could ask her a question only Taiwanese people would know. She was like 'oh! That's 明月松間照 by 王維! No, I don't know why he'd say that either.'

[jardindefruits]

Spring days bring the sun's warmth and orioles full of song, of restless song, as girls take their fine baskets and go wandering on subtle paths in search of tender mulberry leaves.

‘Seventh Moon’ from The Book of Songs (c.15th to 6th century B.C.E.), Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology translated by David Hinton

[myvehementsilence]

A longing heart is sadder than a longing eye;

For the enchantress I, enchanted, can only sigh.

- Romance of Western Bower 西厢记 by Wang Shifu 王实甫

[athis333]

獨奏：謝從馨 Solo: HSIEH Tsung-Hsin 指揮：任燕平 Conductor: JEN Yen-Ping 錫穗國樂團 Xisui Chinese Orchestra   / xsco2012   《錫穗風采》2020-08-13 於臺北市國家音樂廳

打擊樂協奏曲《商銅》王辰威 作曲 Concerto for Chinese Percussion «Bronze Age of Shang» Composed by Wang Chenwei https://wangchenwei.wordpress.com/

Three thousand years ago, the Shāng Dynasty bequeathed two cultural treasures to China: the oracle bone script and Chinese bronzeware. The exquisite craftsmanship and design of Shāng bronzeware bear witness to the illustrious history of ancient China. Inspired by an exhibition of Shāng Dynasty ritual objects and musical instruments at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, this concerto exclusively features Chinese percussion instruments. It evokes the grandeur of the Shāng Dynasty through three movements, each themed after a type of bronzeware.

First Movement: Yuè – Battle Axe of Kings

The Yuè was a weapon that doubled as a ceremonial object, symbolising a king’s military command. This movement depicts King Tāng of Shāng rallying his vast army to campaign against the ruthless King Jié of Xià in 1600 BCE.

The soloist performs on the Jiàngǔ (mounted drum) and Páigǔ (arrayed drums) while the wind instruments carry the melody. To evoke the clash of weaponry, the orchestra musicians strike with wooden sticks and stomp their feet to portray infantry drills.

Second Movement: Jué – Wine Vessel of Aristocrats

The Jué was a wine vessel used by rulers and aristocrats on occasions such as forging alliances, going out to war and celebrating victories. This elegant and relaxed movement conjures images of a palace banquet with intermingling winecups and graceful dancers.

The soloist plays rhythmic figures with relative pitches on suspended Chinese cymbals and gongs. Bamboo clappers are used in the middle section. At the beginning and end, the soloist presses a cymbal on a gong while playing tremolo on the gong to imitate the sound of pouring wine. Plucked string instruments are featured for the melody, incorporating techniques like slides, pitch bends and harmonics.

Third Movement: Dǐng – Ritual Cauldron of Sovereignty

The Dǐng, a cooking vessel, became a ritual and ceremonial object symbolising a country’s sovereignty and was adorned with ancient Chinese characters engraved in the bronze script. The movement’s main motif, “D-G-A”, comprises three notes separated by the musical interval of fourths, symbolising the ancient three-legged and four-legged Dǐng.

The soloist plays the Biānzhōng (pitched bells), Yúnluó (pitched gongs), Huāpéngǔ (low drum), Xiǎochǎ (small cymbals) and Fēngluó (thin gong). Some segments involve one hand playing pitched notes on the Yúnluó and the other hand simultaneously playing unpitched rhythmic accompaniment on the drum. The main theme, presented by the bowed string instruments, is stately and dignified, portraying the vast and prosperous lands of the Shāng dynasty.

A highlight of this movement is the recitation by the orchestra of a verse from the poem The Swallow from Poetry Classics: Shāng Odes using Old Chinese pronunciation (a scholars’ reconstruction of Chinese pronunciation two millennia ago). The meaning of the verse is as follows:

Heaven mandated the swallow, To descend and give birth to the Shāng, Dwelling in Yīn, a vast state. God appointed the martial Tāng, To secure the kingdom great.

Commissioned and premiered by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra in 2019, this piece has since been performed by several other orchestras, including the Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra, Kaohsiung City Chinese Orchestra, and Beijing Chinese Orchestra.

[any-which-way-poetry]

Pinned post for mobile users

Any Which Way Poetry Readings, a podcast

SoundCloud

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Episodes only

Transcripts only

thank you to all my friends, co-conspirators, etc., etc., you know who you are

(additional links: Translation Zine 2022, #gushiwensday)

“老去诗篇浑漫与”

[leahsfiction]

translation zine 2023 is here!!!

link to the PDF (108 kB) - 16 poems in translation and 2 original poems by me.

ETA: also available on my itch.io page if you prefer!

(part of the delay is I really wanted to have the long poem "Epang Palace Rhapsody" by Du Mu in there too, but the last stanza is something I don't want to tackle...)

[beyourselfchulanmaria]

Photo : ©skondal

蘆葦 / Phragmites australis (COMMOM REED) 💞 the feeling the color~*

它生長在沼澤、湖泊或溪流、溝渠邊，喜歡潮濕向陽的環境，常成群繁生。

▪︎食用：1. 根部洗淨後可啃食，略帶甜味。2. 嫩筍可切段炒肉絲。煮熟後拌沙拉食用，更可煮湯等。嫩葉可作牛羊馬的飼料。 3. 果實去殼後取米，可煮飯或者粥。

▪︎稈可建築茅屋，或代軟木作絕緣材料；其外層稈壁可織簾、席；纖維造紙。

▪︎花序作掃帚。

▪︎根入藥，為健胃和利尿藥；

▪︎是優良固堤植物。

▪︎藥用：性味~ 蘆根、蘆筍(嫩苗)：甘、寒。

▪︎效用：蘆根：清熱生津，滲濕利水，除煩止嘔。治胃熱嘔噦，熱病煩咳，肺熱咳嗽，熱淋澀痛；

筍：止渴利尿。治熱病口渴，淋病小病不利；

蘆莖：治肺癰煩熱；

蘆葉：治上吐下瀉，鼻衄，肺癰，發背；

籜葉：治金瘡；

蘆花：止血解毒。

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這比喻的意思是種子是天主的話。

那些在路旁的，是指那些人聽了，隨後就有魔鬼來到，從他們心中把那話奪去，使他們不至信從而得救。

那些在石頭上的，是指那些人，他們聽的時候，高興地接受那話，但這些人沒有根，暫時相信，一到試探的時候，就退避了。

那落在荊棘中的，是指那些聽了的人，還在中途就被掛慮、錢財及生活的逸樂所蒙蔽，沒有結出成熟的果實。

那在好地裏的，是指那些以善良和誠實的心傾聽的人，他們把這話保存起來，以堅忍結出果實。

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

And they by the way side are they that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved.

Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away.

And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit.

But that on the good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.

─ 路加福音Luke : Chapter 8 : 11~15

Thank you 🙏 Amen~*

═════════  ✾  ═════════

And I love this beautiful poetry very much ..... my dad taught us since we're kids :'(

詩經 Classic of Poetry -《秦風．蒹葭》(蒹葭 : commom reed /Phragmites australis)

蒹葭蒼蒼，白露為霜。 所謂伊人，在水一方。

溯洄從之，道阻且長。溯游從之，宛在水中央。

蒹葭萋萋，白露未晞。所謂伊人，在水之湄。

遡洄從之，道阻且躋。遡游從之，宛在水中坻。

蒹葭采采，白露未已。所謂伊人，在水之涘。

遡洄從之，道阻且右。遡游從之，宛在水中沚。

[yourcozylibrary]

I could stay like this, looking at your eyes forever, because I would know that I would be in my favorite place for eternity.”

–Ana Vasquez

[fateandloveentwined]

the chinese "i love you"

So it feels like people never say "I love you" in chinese. 我爱你.

Since old poetry in the Warring States era and such, people have been using more metaphorical or discreet ways to express affection, for instance "I'm thinking of you" or "I miss you" (eg. the character 思 sī), instead of "love". They consider these less literal means more literary and beautiful.

The two classical poems that immediately come to mind would be these:

山有木兮木有枝，心悦君兮君不知。——〈越人歌〉 rough translation: the hills have trees and the trees have branches; I love you but you do not know.

and the other:

彼采葛兮，一日不见，如三月兮。——〈王风·采葛〉 rough translation: the girl picking the arrowroot, I haven't seen her for one day, and it feels I haven't met her for three months.

The poem then progresses to two more stanzas of the similar structure, from three months to three seasons (nine months) and to three years.

"Love" may be used as a more abstract idea, or in philosphical contexts, say confucianism and mohism, to mean compassion and charity, loving everyone, loving regardless something something, etc.

But in all honesty people are just more timid. And culturally speaking, I might put 喜欢 (xǐ huān) on a spectrum between "love" and "like", it already carries that meaning of love, if just not as heavy.

As such, in novels set in older eras they may prefer terms like "心悅/傾慕" (xīn yuè / qīng mù) to mean I like you, and in modern ones they like using 喜欢, also meaning "like", as shyer ways of expressing love.

And so it's usually in the traumatic breakdowns and emotionally charging scenes in the depths of the night that they actually use the phrase "I love you".

[semperardens-juli]

"In perhaps the most famous scene, the Path in the Peach Garden, future ruler Liu Bei persuades two men to join him in the oath of fraternity, thereby going against what was at the time society's strongest bond: unquestioning loyalty to family."

on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong from The Literature Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained, James Canton

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