Jul 20, 2008

I had introduced this lyric for you in Nov, 2007. Then, I just created a piece of music to match it. This week, I have created a new picture and calligraphy to match the music and the poem. I do hope that you will enjoy them and they will be a little bit help to you to learn Chinese language and culture.

Shirley
July 20, 2008


Listen the Text by Shirley Nov 18, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Poem in English Nov 18, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Poem in Chinese Nov 18, 2007

Hi, friends, today, I would like to introduce a new Chinese classical lyric Xiang Jian Huan ? Joy at Meeting by the ruler of the Southern Tang -- Li Yu ( 937 - 978). This lyric is famous for it has expressed the sorrow of apart with a very high language skill.

As the last ruler of the Southern Tang, Li Yu was on the position of emperor for 15 years and in 975, his capital in Jinling (today’s Nanjing) fell by the army of Song Dynasty and he himself was taken captive and he was poisoned in 978. He was a bad monarch but a great lyric poet. His lyrics had made a great achievement; also, he was good at painting. After he lost his country and became a captive, he created his best lyrics which represent the highest achievement of the lyric poets of that period. His lyric poetry’s language clean and clear, feeling was sad and directly, broke through his times’ general style and push the lyrics to be developed forward.

This is one of the best lyrics describing the sorrow of separation. We can find that after an implicit description of his loneliness in the first stanza, the poet utters three short lines mirroring the intensity of his sorrow and then the final line revealing the relaxation of his feeling.

The famous lines of the lyric are "Jian Bu Duan, Li Hai Luo, Shi Li Chou" -- Express the nonfigurative human feeling with a very visual language. So, until today, it has been very famous lines and popular in China. :-)

I have created a piece of music to match it on Nov 3, 2007 and I sang it in English and Chinese on Sunday, Nov 18, 2007. I do wish that my lyric poem comments, music creating and singing will be a lot bit help to you to know more about Chinese culture and to improve your Chinese language level.

MEANING OF THE PEOM (FIRST PART)

Silent, climb the west tower alone,
to see the moon like hook.
Lonesome phoenix tree in the deep yard
is locked in the autumn.

Can’t be cut to sever,
Can’t be combed clear,
It is the grief of parting.
An unspeakable taste is in my heart.


Attaching: Translation by 100 Tang & Song C/Poems by Xu Yuanchong:

Silent, I climb the Western Tower alone,
And see the hook-like moon.
Parasol-trees lonesome and drear
Lock in the courtyard autumn clear.


Cut, it won’t sever,
Be ruled, ’twill never.
What sorrow ’tis to part!
It’s an unspeakable taste in the heart.

NEW WORDS:

Note: Please hit any Chinese character that you need helped, to see its Chinese pinyin, pronunciation, meaning and follow me to read it.

CHINESE CHARACTERS:

相见欢

李煜 （南唐）

无 言 独 上 西楼，
月如钩。
寂寞梧桐深院锁清秋。

剪不断，
理 还 乱，
是离愁。
别是一番滋味 在心头。

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn , or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcomed.

Shirley Zhang
Sun, Nov 18, 2007