A Digital Repository of Medieval Texts
Li Qingzhao. "To the tune “Southland Song”—"In the Sky"." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 2. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 926. .
南歌子 | To the tune “Southland Song”
Source Information
南歌子 | To the tune “Southland Song”
by Li Qingzhao
Text Source:
Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 284.
Responsibility Statement:
- Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 2. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 926.
- Translation by Qian Jia
- Notes by Nina Du and Runqi Zhang
- Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Runqi Zhang
Editorial Principles:
The original text of this ci is based on the edition by Tang Guizhang 唐圭璋 (Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 2. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965). Punctuation follows the edition. Since ci poetry rarely includes personal pronouns, and gender-differentiated pronouns did not exist in Classical Chinese of this period, the gender of the speaker as well as their perspective (e.g. first, second or third person) must often be deduced by the translator from context.
Punctuation follows the edition.Publication Details:
Published by The Global Medieval Sourcebook.
The Global Medieval Sourcebook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
天上星河轉， In the sky, the Starry River
n
turns; Note: "Starry River" refers to the Milky Way.
人間簾幕垂。 In the human world, the curtain droops.
涼生枕簟淚痕滋。 The autumn chill rises from my pillow and my tears spread more and more around the mat.
起解羅衣聊問、 I sit up to untie my silk gown, and ask
5
夜何其。 what time of night it is. 翠貼蓮蓬小， The emerald that adorned the lotus seed-pod
n
is smaller; Note: This line refers to the floral pattern embroidered on fine clothing.
金銷藕葉稀。 The gold that covered the lotus leaves is sparse
n
. Note: These descriptions of decorative objects point to how the same object appears less precious or beautiful to the speaker because of her state of mind.
舊時天氣舊時衣。 Old weather and old clothes;
只有情懷不似、 Only my feelings are not the way
10
舊家時。 They were before. 天上星河轉， In the sky, the Starry River
n
turns; Note: "Starry River" refers to the Milky Way.
人間簾幕垂。 In the human world, the curtain droops.
涼生枕簟淚痕滋。 The autumn chill rises from my pillow and my tears spread more and more around the mat.
起解羅衣聊問、 I sit up to untie my silk gown, and ask
5
夜何其。 what time of night it is. 翠貼蓮蓬小， The emerald that adorned the lotus seed-pod
n
is smaller; Note: This line refers to the floral pattern embroidered on fine clothing.
金銷藕葉稀。 The gold that covered the lotus leaves is sparse
n
. Note: These descriptions of decorative objects point to how the same object appears less precious or beautiful to the speaker because of her state of mind.
舊時天氣舊時衣。 Old weather and old clothes;
只有情懷不似、 Only my feelings are not the way
10
舊家時。 They were before. Critical Notes
Translation
Line number 1
Note: "Starry River" refers to the Milky Way.Translation
Line number 6
Note: This line refers to the floral pattern embroidered on fine clothing.Translation
Line number 7
Note: These descriptions of decorative objects point to how the same object appears less precious or beautiful to the speaker because of her state of mind. Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.