As I said before, Hiromichi follows his quotation of the entire 長恨歌 with extracts from a prose story called the 長恨歌伝, which is placed before the 長恨歌 in many manuscripts of Bai Juyi's poems. It is by 陳鴻, but I don't know much about him. I suppose this prose story was already appearing in manuscripts in the Heian period so that it would have been read there.
As with the Chogonka, I will use Hiromichi's 訓点 to make a kundoku (although I filled in some of the okurigana I think he just left out as understood). Each paragraph represents one extract, so between each paragraph there is some omitted material. Hiromichi's extracts make up about 25-30% of the whole thing -- he seems to cut parts that are in the Chogonka (like the entire episode of the priest visiting Yang Guifei's spirit). I am not aware of any English translation.
開元中、 泰階平にして、四海（よのうみ）無事（しずかなり）。玄宗、位に在ること歲久しくして、旰（ひたけて）食ひ、宵（よは）に衣るに倦めり。政、大小と無く、始て右丞相に委ぬ。深居游宴して、声色を以て、自ら娛む。
During the Kaiyuan era, the whole populace was content and the land was at peace. Xuanzong had reigned for a long time, and he had grown tired of governing. He began to entrust all the matters of state, large and small, to his senior ministers. He shut himself in his inner chambers and held banquets, pleasuring himself with women.
- The Kaiyuan era was from 731-741.
- 旰食宵衣 literally means to eat late and wear clothes into the night; this is used as an image of a hard-working ruler.
高力士に詔し、潜に外宮を捜て、弘農の楊玄琰が女を寿邸に得たり。既に笄せり。
He issued an order to Gao Lishi, and searched the other palaces (for women), finding a daughter of Yang Xuanyan of Hongnong who was then in the Shoudi (residence). She had already come of age.
上、甚だ悦ぶ。
The Emperor was exceedingly pleased.
明年、貴妃と冊（なづけて）為。后の服用を半ばにす。是に由て、其の容を冶め、其詞を敏くして、婉孌萬態以て上の意に中つ。上益々嬖す。
The next year she was named Guifei. She was treated half as an Empress. Starting from then, she improved her looks and sharpened her diction, and with her lithe seductiveness she won the heart of the Emperor. He loved her more and more.
- "Guifei" was evidently a name for one of four high-ranking consorts under the Empress.
三夫人、九嬪、二十七世婦、八十一御妻、暨び後宮の才人、楽府の妓女有と雖でも、天子をして顧盼の意無らしむ。 是自、六宮復た幸を進る者なし。徒に殊艷尤態、是を致すのみに、蓋し才智明慧、善巧便佞、意に先ち、旨に希ひ、形容すべからざる者有り。叔父、昆弟、皆列て清貴に在り。爵、通侯為。姊妹、国夫人に封ぜらる。当王室に埒（ひとし）。
Although the palace included three fujin, nine hin, twenty-seven seifu and eighty-one gyosai, not to mention the palace dancers and singers, none of them could make the Emperor so much as glance at them. But it was not only her exceptional beauty that won the Emperor's heart -- who is able to describe the extent of her skill and diction? Her male relatives were all given high positions and corresponding rank, and her sisters were made fujin, fit to be with the Emperor in his bedroom.
- I discussed these women in the first sentence, although there it was 女御 rather than 御妻.
入ずるに禁門を出問はず、京師の長、吏為に之目を側（そば）む。
When they went in and out of the palace gates, no one even asked their names, and the officials could only avert their eyes.
天宝の末、兄の国忠丞相の位を盗み、國柄に愚弄す。安祿山兵を引て闕に向ふに及て、楊氏を討するを以て、辞と為。潼關守らず、翠華南に幸す。咸陽の道に出て馬嵬の亭（たびや）に次（やど）る。六軍徘徊して、戟を持て進まず。従官郎吏、上の馬の前に伏して、錯を誅して以て天下に謝せんと請ふ。国忠氂纓盤水を奉して、道の周（ほとり）に死す。左右之意、未だ快らず。上之を問ふ。当時敢て言ふ者、貴妃を以て天下の怨を塞んと請ふ。上免を知ざること、其の死を見るに忍びず，袂を反して、面を掩ひ、之を牽て去らしむ。倉皇展転、竟に就を尺組の下に絶す。
既にして玄宗、成都に狩す。肅宗、禅を霊武に受。明年、大兇元を帰し、大駕都に還る。玄宗を尊て太上皇と為す。南宮に就養す。西内に遷る。
At the end of the Tianbao period (742-756), Guifei's brother Guozhong took the Chancellor's office by force, and misused his political power. An Lushan took troops from the palace, intent on defeating Guozhong. They overcame the Tong barrier pass, and the Imperial flag moved south. The Emperor set out on the Xianyang road and stopped at Mawei station. The Imperial forces fell prostrate before the Emperor's horse, begging him to defeat Yang Guozhong. Guozhong, arrayed in humble clothing, was killed on the road. However, the officials were still not pleased. The Emperor asked them why, and someone told him that he would have to appease the anger of Heaven by having Yang Guifei killed. The Emperor saw that he could not avoid this, but he couldn't stand to watch her death. He covered his face with his sleeves as she was hauled away. She struggled but was strangled to death with a cord. Xuanzong then moved to Chengdu, and his son Suzong was made Emperor at Lingwu. The next year, An Lushan was defeated and they returned to the capital. Xuanzong was named Retired Emperor, and the south palace was prepared for him, but he went to the Western palace instead.
- This section is a little hard to follow because the account of the rebellion is very compressed and selective.
適々道士有り、蜀より来る。上の皇心、楊妃を念ふことを是の如くなるを知て、自から言ふ、李少君が術有りと。玄宗大に喜び、命して其の神を致さしむ。方士乃ち其の術を竭くし、以て之索むるに、至らず。又能く神を遊し気に馭、天界に出て、地府に没（い）り、以て之を求むるに見えず。
Around that there was a Daoist priest who came from Shu. When he found out about the Emperor's grief for Yang Guifei, he told the Emperor himself that he knew the arts of Li Shaojun. Xuanzong was very happy, and charged the priest to go find her spirit. The priest immediately used his art to search for her, but he couldn't find her. He used heavenly powers to go to the heavens and the realm of the dead, but though he searched for her, he could not find her.
- Li Shaojun was a Daoist priest during the Han era; the SKT notes say that this is probably meant to evoke Emperor Han's grief for Li Fujin but the reference is wrong.
使者還て奏す、太上皇、皇心震悼。日々豫（たのし）まず。其年の夏四月、南宮に晏駕す。
The priest returned, and Xuanzong was crushed. He was unhappy, and in the fourth month of that year he went to the Southern palace.
- The den does have the story of the priest finding Guifei's spirit and receiving the mementos, but Hiromichi cuts it entirely. The extracts here give the impression that the priest just immediately goes back to the Emperor having failed.
So that's the Chogonka-den, and I'm finally done with these stupid things. Next I can return to the actual Genji. I'm hoping to do updates about twice a week, probably more like every 4-5 days.
Showing posts with label chogonka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chogonka. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Chogonka part 6
１０１ 情を含み、涕を凝して、君王に謝す。
She was full of emotion, and she fixed her gaze (on the priest), relaying a message to the King.
１０２ 一別音容両（ながら）、渺茫。
"Since we have parted, your voice and features are far-away and indistinct.
- SKT makes the next lines a quotation of Yang Guifei, while wikisource uses a third-person description.
１０３ 昭陽殿の裏、恩愛絕。
Within the hall of the bright sun, our love has ceased.
- The "Hall of the Bright Sun" is a specific place built during Wu of Han's reign, although later it was part of the palace.
１０４ 蓬萊宮の中日月長し。
The days and months are long in Penglai Palace.
- Mount Penglai is one of the dwelling places of Daoist immortals.
１０５ 頭を回して、下人寰の処を望めば，
If I turn my gaze to look at the world of humans,
１０６ 長安を見ずして、塵霧を見る。
I cannot see Chang'an, but only dust and mist.
１０７ 唯旧物を將（も）て、深情を表す。
I can only express my deep affection using old mementos.
１０８ 鈿合金釵、寄（よ）せ將（も）て去（ゆか）しむ。
I will send you away with a gold hairpin and jewel-inlaid box.
１０９ 釵は一股を留め、合は一扇，
I will keep one part of the hairpin, and the clasp of the box.
１１０ 釵は黄金を擘さき、合は鈿を分つ。
The gold of the hairpin is broken, and the box is divided.
１１１ 但、金鈿の堅きに似たら、心を令む、
If we keep our hearts as firm as the gold of the hairpin,
- 但 here means "If..."
１１２ 天上、人間会相見。
We will meet again either in the heavens or on Earth."
１１３ 別に臨て、殷勤に重て詞を寄す。
The priest began to leave, but she urgently asked him to convey a message.
１１４ 詞の中に誓ひ有り、両（ふた）りの心にのみ知れり。
The message contained a pledge that only the two of them knew in the depths of their heart.
１１５ 七月七日長生殿，
On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Changsheng hall,
- The "Changsheng hall" is a hall in the Huaqing Palace, where Guifei bathed.
１１６ 夜半人無して、私語（ささめごと）時。
In the middle of the night when no one was around, they whispered the pledge to each other.
１１７ 天に在らば、願くは比翼の鳥と作らん，
"If we are in the heavens we will be like birds flying with wingtips together
- Although the SKT translation has the above, their notes seem to indicate that this 比翼鳥 is a specific legendary bird that shared a wing. In this case the 比 does not mean "like..."
１１８ 地に在らば、願くは連理の枝と為んと。
If we are on earth we will be intertwined branches of a tree.
- Or perhaps "of two trees"; trees that have different trunks but their branches intertwine.
１１９ 天長地久時有て尽るとも，
The eternal heavens will come to an end some day,
１２０ 此の恨綿々として絶る期無らん。
But this sorrow will go on forever.
So that's the Chogonka, finally. I'll do the Chogonka-den passages tomorrow, hopefully as one long post.
She was full of emotion, and she fixed her gaze (on the priest), relaying a message to the King.
１０２ 一別音容両（ながら）、渺茫。
"Since we have parted, your voice and features are far-away and indistinct.
- SKT makes the next lines a quotation of Yang Guifei, while wikisource uses a third-person description.
１０３ 昭陽殿の裏、恩愛絕。
Within the hall of the bright sun, our love has ceased.
- The "Hall of the Bright Sun" is a specific place built during Wu of Han's reign, although later it was part of the palace.
１０４ 蓬萊宮の中日月長し。
The days and months are long in Penglai Palace.
- Mount Penglai is one of the dwelling places of Daoist immortals.
１０５ 頭を回して、下人寰の処を望めば，
If I turn my gaze to look at the world of humans,
１０６ 長安を見ずして、塵霧を見る。
I cannot see Chang'an, but only dust and mist.
１０７ 唯旧物を將（も）て、深情を表す。
I can only express my deep affection using old mementos.
１０８ 鈿合金釵、寄（よ）せ將（も）て去（ゆか）しむ。
I will send you away with a gold hairpin and jewel-inlaid box.
１０９ 釵は一股を留め、合は一扇，
I will keep one part of the hairpin, and the clasp of the box.
１１０ 釵は黄金を擘さき、合は鈿を分つ。
The gold of the hairpin is broken, and the box is divided.
１１１ 但、金鈿の堅きに似たら、心を令む、
If we keep our hearts as firm as the gold of the hairpin,
- 但 here means "If..."
１１２ 天上、人間会相見。
We will meet again either in the heavens or on Earth."
１１３ 別に臨て、殷勤に重て詞を寄す。
The priest began to leave, but she urgently asked him to convey a message.
１１４ 詞の中に誓ひ有り、両（ふた）りの心にのみ知れり。
The message contained a pledge that only the two of them knew in the depths of their heart.
１１５ 七月七日長生殿，
On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Changsheng hall,
- The "Changsheng hall" is a hall in the Huaqing Palace, where Guifei bathed.
１１６ 夜半人無して、私語（ささめごと）時。
In the middle of the night when no one was around, they whispered the pledge to each other.
１１７ 天に在らば、願くは比翼の鳥と作らん，
"If we are in the heavens we will be like birds flying with wingtips together
- Although the SKT translation has the above, their notes seem to indicate that this 比翼鳥 is a specific legendary bird that shared a wing. In this case the 比 does not mean "like..."
１１８ 地に在らば、願くは連理の枝と為んと。
If we are on earth we will be intertwined branches of a tree.
- Or perhaps "of two trees"; trees that have different trunks but their branches intertwine.
１１９ 天長地久時有て尽るとも，
The eternal heavens will come to an end some day,
１２０ 此の恨綿々として絶る期無らん。
But this sorrow will go on forever.
So that's the Chogonka, finally. I'll do the Chogonka-den passages tomorrow, hopefully as one long post.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Chogonka, part 5
I'm back in the US so I should be able to do more regular updates now. Two more Chogonka posts and then 1 or 2 for the Chogonka-den and we'll be back to the actual Genji; hopefully my readership will go above 1 view per post after that. :-) I will try to get the last Chogonka posts up relatively quickly.
８１ 上は碧落を窮はめ、下は黄泉。
(The Daoist priest) searched up in the blue sky, and down in the yellow springs.
８２ 両つの処、茫々として皆見えず。
But in the vastness of both places, he did not see her anywhere.
８３ 忽ち聞く海上に仙山有りと，
Just then he heard about a mountain of sages above the sea,
- 仙 here is probably more specifically the Daoist "immortals" or supernatural beings.
８４ 山は虚無縹緲の間に在。
The mountain was in the far off distance, barely visible.
８５ 楼閣の玲瓏として五雲起き、
A tower rose brilliantly through the five-hued clouds,
８６ 其の中に綽約たる仙子多し。
In there, there were many beautiful immortals.
８７ 中に一人有り、字は太真。
Among those, one had the style name of Taizhen.
- The "style name" is given to someone upon attaining adulthood; Taizhen was Yang Guifei's style name (Wikipedia says it was associated with her status as a Daoist nun before she became Xuanzong's consort). SKT emends the text here (from other manuscripts) to 名玉妃 ("her name was Yufei"); Yufei seems to be a combination of her other names.
８８ 雪の膚、花の貌、参差として是なり。
She had white skin, and a beautiful face -- this almost had to be her.
８９ 金闕の西の廂に玉扃を叩けは，
The priest tapped on the jeweled door of the western wing of the gold watchtower,
- The images here are taken from traditional Daoist ideas of what the lands of the immortals looked like.
９０ 転（うた）、小玉をして双成を報ぜしむ。
Now then, he had Xiaoyu relay a message to Shuangcheng.
- These are traditional female immortals.
９１ 聞道（きくならく）、漢家天子の使なり。
They heard that this was a messenger from the Son of Heaven of the House of Han.
- Another example of Bai Juyi concealing Xuanzong's name by evoking Emperor Wu of Han.
９２ 九華帳の裏、夢魂驚く。
From inside the nine-flowered curtain, she was startled awake from her dream.
- I'm not sure what 魂 does here; it's in Hagiwara and wikisource. SKT has 夢中 instead (without comment), which makes more sense.
９３ 衣を攬（かひと）り枕を推て、起て徘徊す。
She reached for her clothes and pushed aside her pillow, rising in a daze.
９４ 珠の箔（すだれ）、銀の屏、邐迤として開く。
The pearl curtains and the silver door opened as she went through.
９５ 雲の鬢（びんつら）、半ば偏（みだれ）て、新睡して覚たり。
Her cloud (dark) hair was half-disturbed; she had just awakened from sleep.
- The function of 新 here is to express the idea of having just done some action.
９６ 花の冠、整へずして、堂を下り来る。
She went down into the main hall, her headpiece not adjusted.
９７ 風仙袂を吹て、飄々として舉かる。
The wind blew her celestial sleeves, making them flutter.
９８ 猶、霓裳羽衣の舞に似たり。
Indeed it resembled the dance of rainbow skirts and feather robes.
- This is a reference back to line 32.
９９ 玉の容寂寞として涙闌干たり。
Her jeweled face was sad, and splotched with tears.
１００ 梨花一枝春雨を帯たり。
(Just like) A single branch of pear blossom, wreathed in spring rain.
８１ 上は碧落を窮はめ、下は黄泉。
(The Daoist priest) searched up in the blue sky, and down in the yellow springs.
８２ 両つの処、茫々として皆見えず。
But in the vastness of both places, he did not see her anywhere.
８３ 忽ち聞く海上に仙山有りと，
Just then he heard about a mountain of sages above the sea,
- 仙 here is probably more specifically the Daoist "immortals" or supernatural beings.
８４ 山は虚無縹緲の間に在。
The mountain was in the far off distance, barely visible.
８５ 楼閣の玲瓏として五雲起き、
A tower rose brilliantly through the five-hued clouds,
８６ 其の中に綽約たる仙子多し。
In there, there were many beautiful immortals.
８７ 中に一人有り、字は太真。
Among those, one had the style name of Taizhen.
- The "style name" is given to someone upon attaining adulthood; Taizhen was Yang Guifei's style name (Wikipedia says it was associated with her status as a Daoist nun before she became Xuanzong's consort). SKT emends the text here (from other manuscripts) to 名玉妃 ("her name was Yufei"); Yufei seems to be a combination of her other names.
８８ 雪の膚、花の貌、参差として是なり。
She had white skin, and a beautiful face -- this almost had to be her.
８９ 金闕の西の廂に玉扃を叩けは，
The priest tapped on the jeweled door of the western wing of the gold watchtower,
- The images here are taken from traditional Daoist ideas of what the lands of the immortals looked like.
９０ 転（うた）、小玉をして双成を報ぜしむ。
Now then, he had Xiaoyu relay a message to Shuangcheng.
- These are traditional female immortals.
９１ 聞道（きくならく）、漢家天子の使なり。
They heard that this was a messenger from the Son of Heaven of the House of Han.
- Another example of Bai Juyi concealing Xuanzong's name by evoking Emperor Wu of Han.
９２ 九華帳の裏、夢魂驚く。
From inside the nine-flowered curtain, she was startled awake from her dream.
- I'm not sure what 魂 does here; it's in Hagiwara and wikisource. SKT has 夢中 instead (without comment), which makes more sense.
９３ 衣を攬（かひと）り枕を推て、起て徘徊す。
She reached for her clothes and pushed aside her pillow, rising in a daze.
９４ 珠の箔（すだれ）、銀の屏、邐迤として開く。
The pearl curtains and the silver door opened as she went through.
９５ 雲の鬢（びんつら）、半ば偏（みだれ）て、新睡して覚たり。
Her cloud (dark) hair was half-disturbed; she had just awakened from sleep.
- The function of 新 here is to express the idea of having just done some action.
９６ 花の冠、整へずして、堂を下り来る。
She went down into the main hall, her headpiece not adjusted.
９７ 風仙袂を吹て、飄々として舉かる。
The wind blew her celestial sleeves, making them flutter.
９８ 猶、霓裳羽衣の舞に似たり。
Indeed it resembled the dance of rainbow skirts and feather robes.
- This is a reference back to line 32.
９９ 玉の容寂寞として涙闌干たり。
Her jeweled face was sad, and splotched with tears.
１００ 梨花一枝春雨を帯たり。
(Just like) A single branch of pear blossom, wreathed in spring rain.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Chogonka, part 4
Evidently the way to sink double-digit reader to single-digit reader is to spend months on a Chinese poem. :-) I promise this will be the only such long digression in the chapter. The second half of the poem is drawn on more heavily than the first for the "Kiritsubo" chapter.
６１ 春風、桃李花の開く夜，
The windy spring nights when the peach and plum trees bloomed,
- SKT and wikisource read 日 instead of 夜.
６２ 秋雨、梧桐葉の落る時。
The autumn rains, when the leaves of the Wutong trees fell.
- SKT interprets these lines as meaning "In all the times described, the King could not forget Yang Guifei," whereas wikisource says that the spring days have been replaced by the autumn rains. Neither interpretation is literally in the original but something more is going on than the literal translation.
６３ 西宮、南苑、秋草多し。
The western palace and the southern gardens had many autumn plants.
- SKT and wikisource have 南内 here (southern palace).
６４ 宮葉、階に満ちて紅掃はず。
The scarlet leaves of the palace covering the stairs were not swept away.
- SKT and wikisource have 落葉 (fallen leaves)
６５ 梨園の弟子、白髮新なり。
The children of the Pear Garden had newly white hair.
- 梨園弟子 is a term for the singers and performers of the Pear Garden musical group in the palace. SKT says this was led by Xuanzong himself.
６６ 椒房の阿監、青蛾老たり。
The women in the Jiaofang's eyebrows had grown old.
- The Jiaofang was where the Empresses of the Han Dynasty lived; 青蛾 is a symbol of youth.
６７ 夕殿に螢飛びて、思ひ悄然
In the evening palace the fireflies flew, and the King was alone and sad.
６８ 孤燈挑（かか）げ尽くして、未だ眠ることを成さず。
The lamps were lit and burned out, but still he could not sleep.
- SKT has 秋 instead of 孤.
６９ 遅遅たる鐘鼓、初て長き夜，
The slow bells and drums, the long night had just begun.
- SKT has 鐘漏, saying this is a water-based clock.
７０ 耿耿たる星河, 曙なんと欲する天。
The brightly shining stars; he wished the morning would come.
７１ 鴛鴦瓦冷にして、霜の華重く，
The duck tiles were cold, and the crystallized frost was heavy.
- SKT indicates that the "duck tiles" means tiles that are closely spaced, like the mandarin ducks were said to be close in poetry.
７２ 翡翠衾寒して、誰とにか共にせん。
The jade quilt was cold, who would share it with him?
- SKT emends the first part to 旧枕故衾.
７３ 悠悠たる生死別て年を経，
Years passed since they had suffered the long separation of life and death,
７４ 魂魄曾て来て夢にだに入らざる。
Her soul had not even appeared once in his dreams.
７５ 臨邛の道士、鴻都の客，
A Daoist priest from Linqiong came as a guest to Hongdu.
- "Hongdu" is a gate of the palace that was near a school and a library; it didn't exist in Emperor Wu's time so the SKT suggests this just means the Daoist priest was coming to study.
７６ 能く精誠を以って魂魄を致す。
He had the spiritual power that let him call spirits.
７７ 君王、展転の思を感ぜしめんが為に，
Because he noticed that the King was afflicted with longing for his beloved,
７８ 遂に方士をして殷勤に覓して教む。
The King had the priest earnestly seek out her spirit.
７９ 空を排し、気に馭して、奔ること電の如く，
The priest was like lightning as he parted the skies and sent his spirit out riding in the air.
８０ 天に昇り、地に入て之を求ること遍し。
He ascended to the heavens and back down to the earth, searching for her everywhere.
６１ 春風、桃李花の開く夜，
The windy spring nights when the peach and plum trees bloomed,
- SKT and wikisource read 日 instead of 夜.
６２ 秋雨、梧桐葉の落る時。
The autumn rains, when the leaves of the Wutong trees fell.
- SKT interprets these lines as meaning "In all the times described, the King could not forget Yang Guifei," whereas wikisource says that the spring days have been replaced by the autumn rains. Neither interpretation is literally in the original but something more is going on than the literal translation.
６３ 西宮、南苑、秋草多し。
The western palace and the southern gardens had many autumn plants.
- SKT and wikisource have 南内 here (southern palace).
６４ 宮葉、階に満ちて紅掃はず。
The scarlet leaves of the palace covering the stairs were not swept away.
- SKT and wikisource have 落葉 (fallen leaves)
６５ 梨園の弟子、白髮新なり。
The children of the Pear Garden had newly white hair.
- 梨園弟子 is a term for the singers and performers of the Pear Garden musical group in the palace. SKT says this was led by Xuanzong himself.
６６ 椒房の阿監、青蛾老たり。
The women in the Jiaofang's eyebrows had grown old.
- The Jiaofang was where the Empresses of the Han Dynasty lived; 青蛾 is a symbol of youth.
６７ 夕殿に螢飛びて、思ひ悄然
In the evening palace the fireflies flew, and the King was alone and sad.
６８ 孤燈挑（かか）げ尽くして、未だ眠ることを成さず。
The lamps were lit and burned out, but still he could not sleep.
- SKT has 秋 instead of 孤.
６９ 遅遅たる鐘鼓、初て長き夜，
The slow bells and drums, the long night had just begun.
- SKT has 鐘漏, saying this is a water-based clock.
７０ 耿耿たる星河, 曙なんと欲する天。
The brightly shining stars; he wished the morning would come.
７１ 鴛鴦瓦冷にして、霜の華重く，
The duck tiles were cold, and the crystallized frost was heavy.
- SKT indicates that the "duck tiles" means tiles that are closely spaced, like the mandarin ducks were said to be close in poetry.
７２ 翡翠衾寒して、誰とにか共にせん。
The jade quilt was cold, who would share it with him?
- SKT emends the first part to 旧枕故衾.
７３ 悠悠たる生死別て年を経，
Years passed since they had suffered the long separation of life and death,
７４ 魂魄曾て来て夢にだに入らざる。
Her soul had not even appeared once in his dreams.
７５ 臨邛の道士、鴻都の客，
A Daoist priest from Linqiong came as a guest to Hongdu.
- "Hongdu" is a gate of the palace that was near a school and a library; it didn't exist in Emperor Wu's time so the SKT suggests this just means the Daoist priest was coming to study.
７６ 能く精誠を以って魂魄を致す。
He had the spiritual power that let him call spirits.
７７ 君王、展転の思を感ぜしめんが為に，
Because he noticed that the King was afflicted with longing for his beloved,
７８ 遂に方士をして殷勤に覓して教む。
The King had the priest earnestly seek out her spirit.
７９ 空を排し、気に馭して、奔ること電の如く，
The priest was like lightning as he parted the skies and sent his spirit out riding in the air.
８０ 天に昇り、地に入て之を求ること遍し。
He ascended to the heavens and back down to the earth, searching for her everywhere.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Chogonka, part 3
４１ 君王、面を掩て救て得ず。
The King covered his face, unable to save her
４２ 首を回せば、血と涙と相ひ和して流る。
When he turned his head, he saw blood and tears combining and flowing away.
４３ 黄埃（こうあい）、散漫として風蕭索（せうさく）たり。
The yellow dust scattered sadly in the breeze.
４４ 雲の棧、縈り紆りて劍閣に登る。
The walkways in the clouds wind around and climb up through Jiange.
- Or "the passes of Mount Jian," a border gate in modern Sichuan. The next few lines continue to describe the King's journey home.
４５ 峨嵋山の下人の行くこと少まれ也
There were few people going through the foot of Mount Emei.
- Both SKT and the wikisource point out that Emei isn't on Xuanzong's route but it was a common place in poetry and it was a famous part of Shu.
４６ 旌旗光無して日色薄く。
The banners had no light and the sun was pale.
- In other words the sky was cloudy so the sun couldn't illuminate the King's banners.
４７ 蜀江、水碧にして蜀山青し。
The water of the Shu rivers was blue, and the Shu mountains were green.
- 青 here refers to the lush plant growth, so it's not "blue".
４８ 聖主朝朝（あさなあさな）暮暮（ゆうべゆうべ）の情、
The King's feelings morning and night
- This is another line where I don't fully understand the grammar of the original. SKT indicates this line means "(But in contrast to the lushness of the mountains and river,) the King's felt downcast because he thought about her morning and night." Wikisource has "Our liege lord thought about her night and day." It seems more to me like this should lead into the next lines, describing the King's 情.
４９ 行宮に月を見ては心を傷むる色，
Watching the moon in his temporary dwelling reflected the pain of his heart.
５０ 夜の雨に鈴を聞ては腸を断つ声。
Hearing bells on a rainy night was a sound of deep sorrow.
- SKT emends 鈴 to 猿, suggesting this is based on a 故事 about a mother monkey crying for her children.
５１ 天旋り、日転りて龍馭を廻へす，
The heavens turned and the sun moved, and the Emperor's chariot returned.
- This is a poetic way of saying the rebellion ended. I believe that Xuanzong had abdicated by this point and was a retired Emperor.
５２ 此に到て躊躇して去ること能はず。
When he reached this place he hesitated and was unable to depart.
- "This place" is Mawei, where Yang Guifei was killed.
５３ 馬嵬の坡の下泥土の中，
In the mud and dirt at the base of Mawei's slopes,
５４ 玉顏を見ずして空しく死せし処。
He did not see her jeweled face, but only the place where she uselessly died.
- wikisource suggests that 玉 here is a reference to Guifei's birth name 玉環, although 玉 is a fairly conventional symbol of beauty.
５５ 君臣、相顧みて盡（ことごと）く衣を霑（うるほ）す，
The King and his ministers looked at each other, and they all soaked their clothes [with tears].
５６ 東の（方）都門を望み、馬に信（まか）せて帰る。
They turned towards the Eastern gate of the capital, and let their horses make their way home.
５７ 帰り来て池苑、皆な旧きに依る，
When they returned, the ponds and gardens were just like before.
５８ 太液の芙蓉、未央の柳。
The lotuses of Taiye and the willows of Weiyang.
- Weiyang palace was a Han Dynasty location, but in the Tang dynasty a pond had been built in the palace called Weiyang. Wikisource says that the Taiye ponds were constructed by Emperor Wu, making this yet another reference to him. Incidentally, this line is quoted verbatim in "Kiritsubo"; the only direct quote of the poem.
５９ 芙蓉は面の如く、柳は眉の如く，
The lotuses were like her face, and the willows were like her eyebrows.
６０ 此に対して如何ぞ涙を垂（給は）ざらん。
Faced with this, how could the King not cry?
The King covered his face, unable to save her
４２ 首を回せば、血と涙と相ひ和して流る。
When he turned his head, he saw blood and tears combining and flowing away.
４３ 黄埃（こうあい）、散漫として風蕭索（せうさく）たり。
The yellow dust scattered sadly in the breeze.
４４ 雲の棧、縈り紆りて劍閣に登る。
The walkways in the clouds wind around and climb up through Jiange.
- Or "the passes of Mount Jian," a border gate in modern Sichuan. The next few lines continue to describe the King's journey home.
４５ 峨嵋山の下人の行くこと少まれ也
There were few people going through the foot of Mount Emei.
- Both SKT and the wikisource point out that Emei isn't on Xuanzong's route but it was a common place in poetry and it was a famous part of Shu.
４６ 旌旗光無して日色薄く。
The banners had no light and the sun was pale.
- In other words the sky was cloudy so the sun couldn't illuminate the King's banners.
４７ 蜀江、水碧にして蜀山青し。
The water of the Shu rivers was blue, and the Shu mountains were green.
- 青 here refers to the lush plant growth, so it's not "blue".
４８ 聖主朝朝（あさなあさな）暮暮（ゆうべゆうべ）の情、
The King's feelings morning and night
- This is another line where I don't fully understand the grammar of the original. SKT indicates this line means "(But in contrast to the lushness of the mountains and river,) the King's felt downcast because he thought about her morning and night." Wikisource has "Our liege lord thought about her night and day." It seems more to me like this should lead into the next lines, describing the King's 情.
４９ 行宮に月を見ては心を傷むる色，
Watching the moon in his temporary dwelling reflected the pain of his heart.
５０ 夜の雨に鈴を聞ては腸を断つ声。
Hearing bells on a rainy night was a sound of deep sorrow.
- SKT emends 鈴 to 猿, suggesting this is based on a 故事 about a mother monkey crying for her children.
５１ 天旋り、日転りて龍馭を廻へす，
The heavens turned and the sun moved, and the Emperor's chariot returned.
- This is a poetic way of saying the rebellion ended. I believe that Xuanzong had abdicated by this point and was a retired Emperor.
５２ 此に到て躊躇して去ること能はず。
When he reached this place he hesitated and was unable to depart.
- "This place" is Mawei, where Yang Guifei was killed.
５３ 馬嵬の坡の下泥土の中，
In the mud and dirt at the base of Mawei's slopes,
５４ 玉顏を見ずして空しく死せし処。
He did not see her jeweled face, but only the place where she uselessly died.
- wikisource suggests that 玉 here is a reference to Guifei's birth name 玉環, although 玉 is a fairly conventional symbol of beauty.
５５ 君臣、相顧みて盡（ことごと）く衣を霑（うるほ）す，
The King and his ministers looked at each other, and they all soaked their clothes [with tears].
５６ 東の（方）都門を望み、馬に信（まか）せて帰る。
They turned towards the Eastern gate of the capital, and let their horses make their way home.
５７ 帰り来て池苑、皆な旧きに依る，
When they returned, the ponds and gardens were just like before.
５８ 太液の芙蓉、未央の柳。
The lotuses of Taiye and the willows of Weiyang.
- Weiyang palace was a Han Dynasty location, but in the Tang dynasty a pond had been built in the palace called Weiyang. Wikisource says that the Taiye ponds were constructed by Emperor Wu, making this yet another reference to him. Incidentally, this line is quoted verbatim in "Kiritsubo"; the only direct quote of the poem.
５９ 芙蓉は面の如く、柳は眉の如く，
The lotuses were like her face, and the willows were like her eyebrows.
６０ 此に対して如何ぞ涙を垂（給は）ざらん。
Faced with this, how could the King not cry?
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Chogonka, part 2
21 金屋（に）粧ひ成て嬌（こび）て夜に侍す。
She finished her makeup in the golden building, and charmingly accompanied the Emperor in the evenings.
- 金屋 is another reference to Emperor Wu; once again the tireless Wikisource guy has put the original quote from the Book of Han up. He also points out that the 嬌 here is probably a pun on Empress Chin Jiao, who Wu wanted to build the golden house for.
22 玉楼宴罷て酔て春に和す。
In the jeweled pavilions at the end of the banquets they were drunk, and relaxed in the spring.
- I'm assuming that 罷て is intended to be read as おわりて.
23 姉妹兄弟、皆列士
Her brothers and sisters were all made governors of land.
24 憐れむべし、光彩の門戸を生すること
Oh, how splendid, the thriving of the shining family!
25-26 遂に天下父母の心をして、男を生むことを重んせずして、女を生むことを重んせしむ。
This soon affected the hearts of the mothers and fathers of the land -- it caused them to not value giving birth to boys, but rather giving birth to girls.
27 驪宮高き處、青雲に入る。
The high places of Lu Palace entered the blue clouds.
- This is the Huaqing Palace, the location of the Huaqing Pools mentioned earlier in the poem.
28 仙樂、風飄て處處に聞ゆ。
The music of the sages fluttered on the wind and could be heard here and there.
29 緩く歌ひ謾に舞て絲竹を凝らす。
The slow singing and the gentle dancing merged with the strings (of the instruments).
- 謾 seems to be a 仮字 for 縵.
30 尽日（ひねもす）君王看れども足らざるに、
The King watched all day but it wasn't enough.
31 漁陽の鼙鼓、地を動し来たる。
The war drums of Yuyang began to shake the earth.
- The next set of lines alludes to the events of the An Lushan rebellion; the wikipedia article on Yang Guifei has the full story of her death; without some knowledge of the basic story this part of the poem makes little sense.
32 驚破（そよや）、霓裳羽衣の曲。
Oh! The song of rainbow skirts and feather robes.
- According to the den, this is the song that Guifei enchanted Xuanzong with. I'm a little uncertain on what 驚破 means here -- both Hiromichi's furigana and the notes to the SKT indicate that it's an expression of surprise, but the meaning of the line isn't very clear. The SKT's modern Japanese translation and Wikisource say it means the drums disrupted the dance.
33 九重の城闕、煙塵生す。
The ninefold palace became covered in smoke and dust.
34 千乗万騎西南に行く。
The large army went southwest.
- This refers to the King's troops fleeing the palace.
35 翠華、搖搖として行て復た止まる。
The jewels on the imperial flag rocked back and forth, stopping and starting.
36 西の方、都門を出ること、百余里。
They left the capital gate to the west and went over 100 li.
37 六軍発せず、奈何（いかん）ともすること無し。
The Imperial army was not sent out, and couldn't do anything.
38 宛転たる蛾眉、馬の前に死ぬ。
The curved eyebrows like a moth, died before the horse.
- A very allusive reference to Yang Guifei's execution; that's an odd simile -- I don't know if it was a poetic standard. Wikisource suggests it could be an allusion to Mount Emei, where Xuanzong was going. Guifei was strangled in a Buddhist temple, but since she was killed at Mawei (馬嵬), this may be a play on words.
39 花の鈿（かんざし）地に委（すて）て、人の收むる無し。
Her flower hairpin fell to the ground, and no one picked it up.
40 翠翹金雀玉の搔頭（さしくし）。
(Then,) her hair ornament made from the feather of a kingfisher, her gold sparrow (pin), and her jeweled hair clasp.
She finished her makeup in the golden building, and charmingly accompanied the Emperor in the evenings.
- 金屋 is another reference to Emperor Wu; once again the tireless Wikisource guy has put the original quote from the Book of Han up. He also points out that the 嬌 here is probably a pun on Empress Chin Jiao, who Wu wanted to build the golden house for.
22 玉楼宴罷て酔て春に和す。
In the jeweled pavilions at the end of the banquets they were drunk, and relaxed in the spring.
- I'm assuming that 罷て is intended to be read as おわりて.
23 姉妹兄弟、皆列士
Her brothers and sisters were all made governors of land.
24 憐れむべし、光彩の門戸を生すること
Oh, how splendid, the thriving of the shining family!
25-26 遂に天下父母の心をして、男を生むことを重んせずして、女を生むことを重んせしむ。
This soon affected the hearts of the mothers and fathers of the land -- it caused them to not value giving birth to boys, but rather giving birth to girls.
27 驪宮高き處、青雲に入る。
The high places of Lu Palace entered the blue clouds.
- This is the Huaqing Palace, the location of the Huaqing Pools mentioned earlier in the poem.
28 仙樂、風飄て處處に聞ゆ。
The music of the sages fluttered on the wind and could be heard here and there.
29 緩く歌ひ謾に舞て絲竹を凝らす。
The slow singing and the gentle dancing merged with the strings (of the instruments).
- 謾 seems to be a 仮字 for 縵.
30 尽日（ひねもす）君王看れども足らざるに、
The King watched all day but it wasn't enough.
31 漁陽の鼙鼓、地を動し来たる。
The war drums of Yuyang began to shake the earth.
- The next set of lines alludes to the events of the An Lushan rebellion; the wikipedia article on Yang Guifei has the full story of her death; without some knowledge of the basic story this part of the poem makes little sense.
32 驚破（そよや）、霓裳羽衣の曲。
Oh! The song of rainbow skirts and feather robes.
- According to the den, this is the song that Guifei enchanted Xuanzong with. I'm a little uncertain on what 驚破 means here -- both Hiromichi's furigana and the notes to the SKT indicate that it's an expression of surprise, but the meaning of the line isn't very clear. The SKT's modern Japanese translation and Wikisource say it means the drums disrupted the dance.
33 九重の城闕、煙塵生す。
The ninefold palace became covered in smoke and dust.
34 千乗万騎西南に行く。
The large army went southwest.
- This refers to the King's troops fleeing the palace.
35 翠華、搖搖として行て復た止まる。
The jewels on the imperial flag rocked back and forth, stopping and starting.
36 西の方、都門を出ること、百余里。
They left the capital gate to the west and went over 100 li.
37 六軍発せず、奈何（いかん）ともすること無し。
The Imperial army was not sent out, and couldn't do anything.
38 宛転たる蛾眉、馬の前に死ぬ。
The curved eyebrows like a moth, died before the horse.
- A very allusive reference to Yang Guifei's execution; that's an odd simile -- I don't know if it was a poetic standard. Wikisource suggests it could be an allusion to Mount Emei, where Xuanzong was going. Guifei was strangled in a Buddhist temple, but since she was killed at Mawei (馬嵬), this may be a play on words.
39 花の鈿（かんざし）地に委（すて）て、人の收むる無し。
Her flower hairpin fell to the ground, and no one picked it up.
40 翠翹金雀玉の搔頭（さしくし）。
(Then,) her hair ornament made from the feather of a kingfisher, her gold sparrow (pin), and her jeweled hair clasp.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Chogonka, part 1
My goal is to post roughly 20 lines of the poem each post. I'm only going to do the 訓読 based on Hagiwara's citation of the poem; this uses some different kanji and a few different kundoku from the 新釈漢文大系 (SKT) text that I'm using for annotations. If you want to see the original Chinese text and pinyin, go to the Wikisource page. That page has a good natural translation so I'll try to be a bit more literal and explain some more of the terms and such.
長恨歌 (Song of Everlasting Regret/Neverending Sorrow)
1 漢王、色を重んじて、傾国を思ふ。
The King of Han valued sex, and wanted a beautiful woman.
- The "King of Han" is a poetic conceit to avoid naming Emperor Xuanzong, since the Tang Dynasty was still ruling. There is no doubt who the poem is about, though. The suggestion is that this is about Emperor Wu of Han and his relationship with Consort Li. Li has been suggested as one model for the Kiritsubo Intimate. The term 傾国 also comes from the Book of Han's biography of Consort Li; see the translated passage at wiktionary.
- "sex" is kind of a bold translation of 色 but I couldn't come up with a better one. "Love" or "romance" don't really work. Maybe the wikisource's choice of "dalliances", although somewhat Victorian, is more appropriate.
2 御宇（あめのしたしろしめして）多年求むれど、得ず。
He searched during the many years of his reign, but couldn't find any such beauty.
3 楊家に女（むすめ）あり、初めて長（ひと）と成れり。
In the House of Yang there was a daughter who had just come of age.
4 養はれて深閨に在りて、人未だ識らず。
She was raised and kept in the inner house, and people did not yet know her.
5 天の生（な）せる麗質、自ら棄て難し。
Her natural beauty was difficult to ignore.
- I'm not entirely sure how to interpret 自難棄; apparently it's just "impossible to ignore" but I don't fully understand the construction of that meaning.
6 一朝選ばれて、君王の側に在り。
One day, she was chosen, and went by the King's side.
7 頭を回らし、一たび笑しては百の媚生（な）る。
By turning her head and laughing once, it was one hundred times as sexy.
- None of the editions I've looked at really translate the meaning of the words, they just go with something like "Her entrancing smile could melt anyone's heart". I'm really not sure if my more literal interpretation is accurate at all.
8 六宮の粉黛、顏色無し。
The powdered beauties of the palace had no beauty.
- Presumably in comparison to Yang Guifei. A less literal translation would be "The other women in the palace could not compare to her."
9 春寒くして、浴を賜ふ、華清の池。
In the cold spring, the King gave her the gift of bathing in the Huaqing Pool.
10 温泉の水、滑らかにして凝れる脂を洗ふ。
The waters of the hot spring were smooth, and cleansed her white skin.
- 凝脂 is kind of an odd phrase; it seems to mean "(skin) white like solid fat" and is derived from the Shi jing.
11 侍兒（おもとひと）、扶け起して、嬌て力無し。
Her serving women helped her exit; she was slender and had no strength.
12 始を是れ新たに恩沢を承くる時。
This is just when she began to receive the King's favor.
-SKT reads 始 as まさしく and says it means "Just now".
13 雲の鬢（つら）、花の顏ばせ金の步搖（さしくしやり）
She had hair like a cloud, a face like a flower, and gold jewelry in her hair.
- 雲 may just mean "dark" but it might also refer to other aspects of clouds as well.
14 芙蓉帳暖かにして春宵を度る。
They spent the spring nights behind a warm screen of hibiscus.
15 春宵短きを苦しんで、日高（たけ）て起く。
They lamented the shortness of the spring nights, and rose when the sun was high.
16 此れ従、 君王、早朝（あさまつりごと）せず。
From this point, the King no longer did his morning government duties.
-従 is evidently read より here.
17 歓を承け宴に侍するに間暇無し。
She pleased the Emperor and accompanied him to banquets; she had no free time.
- SKT emends 宴 to 寝 from other manuscripts and says this means "she spent time in his sleeping chamber". 承歓 is evidently some kind of idiom.
18 春は春の遊びに従ひ、夜は夜を専にす。
In the spring she accompanied him on his spring outings, and at night she was with him every night.
19 後宮の佳麗、三千人。
There were three thousand beautiful women in the palace,
- SKT emends 後 to 漢 from other manuscripts, changing the meaning to "In the Han Palace..."
20 三千の寵愛、一身に在り。
(but) the love for the three thousand was with one woman alone.
Sounds like a great love story! What could go wrong?
長恨歌 (Song of Everlasting Regret/Neverending Sorrow)
1 漢王、色を重んじて、傾国を思ふ。
The King of Han valued sex, and wanted a beautiful woman.
- The "King of Han" is a poetic conceit to avoid naming Emperor Xuanzong, since the Tang Dynasty was still ruling. There is no doubt who the poem is about, though. The suggestion is that this is about Emperor Wu of Han and his relationship with Consort Li. Li has been suggested as one model for the Kiritsubo Intimate. The term 傾国 also comes from the Book of Han's biography of Consort Li; see the translated passage at wiktionary.
- "sex" is kind of a bold translation of 色 but I couldn't come up with a better one. "Love" or "romance" don't really work. Maybe the wikisource's choice of "dalliances", although somewhat Victorian, is more appropriate.
2 御宇（あめのしたしろしめして）多年求むれど、得ず。
He searched during the many years of his reign, but couldn't find any such beauty.
3 楊家に女（むすめ）あり、初めて長（ひと）と成れり。
In the House of Yang there was a daughter who had just come of age.
4 養はれて深閨に在りて、人未だ識らず。
She was raised and kept in the inner house, and people did not yet know her.
5 天の生（な）せる麗質、自ら棄て難し。
Her natural beauty was difficult to ignore.
- I'm not entirely sure how to interpret 自難棄; apparently it's just "impossible to ignore" but I don't fully understand the construction of that meaning.
6 一朝選ばれて、君王の側に在り。
One day, she was chosen, and went by the King's side.
7 頭を回らし、一たび笑しては百の媚生（な）る。
By turning her head and laughing once, it was one hundred times as sexy.
- None of the editions I've looked at really translate the meaning of the words, they just go with something like "Her entrancing smile could melt anyone's heart". I'm really not sure if my more literal interpretation is accurate at all.
8 六宮の粉黛、顏色無し。
The powdered beauties of the palace had no beauty.
- Presumably in comparison to Yang Guifei. A less literal translation would be "The other women in the palace could not compare to her."
9 春寒くして、浴を賜ふ、華清の池。
In the cold spring, the King gave her the gift of bathing in the Huaqing Pool.
10 温泉の水、滑らかにして凝れる脂を洗ふ。
The waters of the hot spring were smooth, and cleansed her white skin.
- 凝脂 is kind of an odd phrase; it seems to mean "(skin) white like solid fat" and is derived from the Shi jing.
11 侍兒（おもとひと）、扶け起して、嬌て力無し。
Her serving women helped her exit; she was slender and had no strength.
12 始を是れ新たに恩沢を承くる時。
This is just when she began to receive the King's favor.
-SKT reads 始 as まさしく and says it means "Just now".
13 雲の鬢（つら）、花の顏ばせ金の步搖（さしくしやり）
She had hair like a cloud, a face like a flower, and gold jewelry in her hair.
- 雲 may just mean "dark" but it might also refer to other aspects of clouds as well.
14 芙蓉帳暖かにして春宵を度る。
They spent the spring nights behind a warm screen of hibiscus.
15 春宵短きを苦しんで、日高（たけ）て起く。
They lamented the shortness of the spring nights, and rose when the sun was high.
16 此れ従、 君王、早朝（あさまつりごと）せず。
From this point, the King no longer did his morning government duties.
-従 is evidently read より here.
17 歓を承け宴に侍するに間暇無し。
She pleased the Emperor and accompanied him to banquets; she had no free time.
- SKT emends 宴 to 寝 from other manuscripts and says this means "she spent time in his sleeping chamber". 承歓 is evidently some kind of idiom.
18 春は春の遊びに従ひ、夜は夜を専にす。
In the spring she accompanied him on his spring outings, and at night she was with him every night.
19 後宮の佳麗、三千人。
There were three thousand beautiful women in the palace,
- SKT emends 後 to 漢 from other manuscripts, changing the meaning to "In the Han Palace..."
20 三千の寵愛、一身に在り。
(but) the love for the three thousand was with one woman alone.
Sounds like a great love story! What could go wrong?
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