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莎緇ゅ鐚 膃筝 the first part of the poem鐚f湛 d辿 g yu叩n co s嘆ng bi辿
t叩n鼻 鐚618-907鐚
絮 b叩i j笛 y狸鐚772-846鐚
胼胼筝 l鱈 l鱈 yu叩n shn鼻 co鐚
筝絏筝 y朝 su狸 y朝 k笛 r坦n鼻
筝絨 y hu sho b炭 j狸n鐚
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
筝絨 y hu sho b炭 j狸n鐚
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
胼胼筝l鱈 l鱈 yu叩n shn鼻 co鐚
筝絏筝 y朝 su狸 y朝 k笛 r坦n鼻
筝絨 y hu sho b炭 j狸n鐚
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
筝絨 y hu sho b炭 j狸n鐚
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
ラ ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻
|#|Send Off on the Ancient Plain鐚The First Part鐚
by Bai Juyi鐚772-846鐚
Tang Dynasty(618-907)
Lush grass grows on the ancient plain,
Each year it withers and flourishes.
Wild fire can't burn it out,
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
Wild fire can't burn it out,
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
Lush grass grows on the ancient plain,
Each year it withers and flourishes,
Wild fire can't burn it out,
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
Wild fire can't burn it out,
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
It re-grows in the spring breeze.
|#|Bai Juyi 絮 b叩i j笛 y狸 (772-846) was one of the greatest poets in Tang Dynasty (618-907). His ancestral home was in Taiyuan, Shangxi, then moved to Xiagui (in today's Shangxi). He was born in Henan.
Bai Juyi lived in the chaotic period caused by the wars of the Tang Dynasty military governors, experienced 6 emperors from Dezong to Wenzong and lived in a family that was scholarly but poor. This helped him to understand more about real society and life of the common people.
In 799, when he was 27 years old, he became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations. He was then appointed as an official in various positions.
He was demoted in 815 for daring to speak out the truth and this offended his superiors.In the position as Jiangzhou Si ma (an assistant to the Ci Shifeudal provincial or prefectural governor,which wasn't a position that could work for the country, but a place to be offered to the officers who were demoted),he saw how the ordinary people lived ,which helped him write many realistic poems and become one of the greatest poets in the Tang Dynasty after Li Bai and Du Fu.
He was then appointed as a feudal provincial or prefectural governor in Zhongzhou, Hangzhou and Suzhou, then to some higher positions, such as the teacher of the crown prince and a minister in the Ministry of Justice.
After he retired, he stayed in Luoyang. He died in 846, at the age of 75.
Bai Juyi mainly followed Confucianism, while also accepted Taoism and Buddhism. His guiding principle in life was the idea莨惹紊筝, 腥荳(鐔叩 鐔辿 鐔鐔鐔 鐔狸 鐔鐔鐔 鐔鐔,鐔鐔坦鐔ﾉ 鐔辿 鐔炭 鐔鐔鐔 鐔鱈 鐔鐔鐔If I am successful, I will help this world with my ability and wealth; if I am poor, limited and unsuccessful, I will keep my own personal virtues). Therefore, in the mind of Bai Juyi, there was the very positive hand of Confucianism,in which he wanted to have a successful career; on the other hand, he was affected by Taoism and Buddhism. Generally,when he was young, he was quite positive and wanted to help this world;when he became older, especially when he was demoted, he mainly wanted to keep his own clean and personal virtues. In his later years, the ideas of Taoism and Buddhism were his main guiding thoughts. All of these thoughts and changes were reflected in his poetry.
In literature,Bai Juyi summarized the theory of realism from Shi Jing (Book of Poetry), Han Yue Fu (Folk Poetry and Music in the Han Dynasty) and Du Fu, outlined a clear-cut theory of poetry and literary opinion. He mainly thought that腴筝鐚罩莚筝篋鐚w辿n zhng h辿 w竪i sh鱈 辿r zh湛鐚g sh朝 h辿 w竪i sh狸 辿r fArticles should be written for the times, and poetry (and music,as then the poems could be sung) should be written about meaningful things鐚.This would require writers and poets to care about the times they lived in and to do something positive for the times and for society. It became the theoretical basis of the movement of New Yue Fu (Movement of New Folk Music and Poetry in Tang Dynasty).
In poetry creation, Bai Juyi sorted his own poems into four types:
Feng Yu Shi: Allegorical Poemswith implicit words to criticize or advise someone or something, mainly reflecting on national affairs or civilian lives, he cared about politics and spoke for people;there was a strong sense of justice and responsibility in this kind of poems.
Xian Shi Shi: Poems of Leisure.
Gan Shang Shi:Sentimental Poems.
Za lv:Poerns with various themes.
Among these categories, Bai Juyi paid most attention to his Feng Yu Poetry and thought this kind of poetry expressed his 惹箙綽鐚jin j狸 zh朝 zh狸desire to help the world with his ability and wisdom鐚.
The main character of Bai Juyi's poetry is in a realistic style.He caught some significant subjects, reflected on important historic events, revealed social contradictions,and made his poems reflect a wide social life; with his bright artistic methods, he revealed many features of the people in his times and reflected their thoughts and lives. By using folk language in his poetry, the words are simple but the meanings are deep, and this made his poems bright, pure and natural, and are welcomed by common people.
By the good lead and influence of Bai Juyi, the Movement of New Yue Fu was developed to a new level. Bai Juyi's poetry was the peak of poetic realism in its time.
Bai Juyi left more than 2,800 poems to the world and many of them are very long.
|#||#|This poem was written in 787. The two words Fu de in the title shows us that it was an examination assignment in accordance with the rules of the national imperial examination in Tang Dynasty. There were some very strict rules for writing this kind of poetry,so there are not many good works of this kind; however, this poem has been on everybody's lips for more than 1,200 years.
This poem was written when Bai Juyi was 16.That year, he went to the capitalChangan. With his poems, he paid a formal visit to Gu Kuang.
At first, Gu Kuang made a joke with the name of Bai Juyi (Ju Yi in Chinese means it is easy to live somewhere) and said that rice was expensive in Changan, so it was not easy to live there at all. But when he read the wordsy hu sho b炭 J狸n, ch笛n fng chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻, he could not help being greatly appreciative鐚If he was able to write such wonderful poetry, Ju yi it will be easy to live anywhere. And then, because Gu Kuang's recommendation, quickly, Bai Juyi's reputation was greatly boosted.
There are eight lines in this poem, but in common with most people,I will only introduce the first four.
The first two line: 胼胼筝, 筝絏筝 l鱈 l鱈 yu叩n shn鼻 co鐚y朝 su狸 y朝 k笛 r坦n鼻Lush grass grows on the ancient plain, each year it withers and flourishes.
The first line explains the essence of the title with the wordsancient, plain andgrass: What lush grass covers the ancient plain! They are very ordinary words, but they capture one of the characteristics of the grassits exuberant vitality.
The second line introduces another characteristic of the grasseach year it withers and flourishes. When I translated it, I thought for a long time and I asked myself whether I should translate it as each year it flourishes and then withers in accordance with the natural life cycle of the grass.Then, I decided to stick closely to the original because it flourishes and then withers, write about the grass in the autumn whereas it withers and flourishes, write about the grass in the spring.
This line not only describes the natural life cycle of the grass鐚but also acts as a preparation for the next line.
The last two lines: 筝絨, ラy hu sho b炭 j狸n, ch笛n fn鼻 chu朝 y嘆u shn鼻Wild fire can not burn it out鐚it re-grows in the spring breeze.
The two famous lines develop the words withers and flourishes, and further describe the most important characteristic of the grass, its strong life force, meanwhile painting two beautiful pictures. It can not be burnt out completely; it can not be uprooted at all. With the lines wild fire can not burn it out, the poet creates a more heroic artistic conception.
Wild fire is strong and terrible.It can destroy everything and can burn the grass in the twinkling of an eye.However, no matter how strong the fire is, it cannot burn out the roots of the grass.As soon as the spring breeze blows across the ancient plain,it will reawaken,re-grow and rocover the ground quickly.
By emphasizing the power of the wild fire the author also emphasizes the power of the grass to re-grow in spring.
The hot and red wild fire is strong;but the soft and green grass is stronger.The fourth line echoes the first line;but not only does it express the character of the grass once more, it also expresses an idea of the poet a thing of beauty cannot be destroyed forever, it will usually re-emerge in the right conditions.
When I wrote this, I could not help thinking of the story of the Rise of the Phoenix. Both of them have different approaches but an equally satisfactory outcome.
This poem uses very simple language and is neat and orderly; every word is exact and meaningful.It has become well liked by Chinese people and the third and fourth lines have become very famous since they were first written.
|#|Anything just or beautiful cannot be suppressed forever, even though it is suppressed temporarily.When the time is suitable, it will re-emerge, just like the grass on the plain;it is burnt out in autumn but sure to re-grow up in the next spring.Do you agree with me?
With so much appreciation for the little grass, I translated this poem and wrote a piece of music for it in 2006, created a painting to go with them in 2010. Then I painted a new painting as my assignment at Chinese National Academy of Arts in 2012.
I really hope that my effort will be of some help for you in learning about Chinese culture and language.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn .
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