A Digital Repository of Medieval Texts
Li Qingzhao. "To the tune “Drunk under the Shadow of Flowers”—"In Thin Fog"." 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, 929. .
醉花陰 | To the tune “Drunk under the Shadow of Flowers”
Source Information
醉花陰 | To the tune “Drunk under the Shadow of Flowers”
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, 929.
- 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.
薄霧濃雰愁永晝。 In thin fog and heavy mist, I am dismayed by the eternal daytime.
瑞腦銷金獸。 The dragon-brain
n
incense melts in the metal beastNote: The “dragon brain incense” refers to a type of incense made from a subspecies of camphor tree, which was thought to look like a dragon.
n
. Note: The "metal beast" refers to the incense holder, many of which were shaped like animals.
佳節又重陽， It is again the festival of Double Ninth
n
. Note: The Double Ninth Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It takes place annually in early fall, the traditional harvest time, and thanks is given for nature's bounty.
玉枕紗廚， Jade pillow
n
and gauze canopy; Note: In this period, wealthy individuals would sometimes sleep on a hard pillow made of carved jade.
5
半夜涼初透。 at midnight, a chill starts to pierce through. 東籬把酒黃昏後。 By the eastern fence, I drink after dusk.
有暗香盈袖。 There is a faint fragrance filling up my sleeves.
莫道不銷魂， Do not say that it does not consume the soul:
簾卷西風， the western wind rolls up the curtain;
10
人比黃花瘦。 In
am thinner than the yellow flower. Note: The character 人, translated here as "I", literally means "the person", but refers to the speaker.
薄霧濃雰愁永晝。 In thin fog and heavy mist, I am dismayed by the eternal daytime.
瑞腦銷金獸。 The dragon-brain
n
incense melts in the metal beastNote: The “dragon brain incense” refers to a type of incense made from a subspecies of camphor tree, which was thought to look like a dragon.
n
. Note: The "metal beast" refers to the incense holder, many of which were shaped like animals.
佳節又重陽， It is again the festival of Double Ninth
n
. Note: The Double Ninth Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It takes place annually in early fall, the traditional harvest time, and thanks is given for nature's bounty.
玉枕紗廚， Jade pillow
n
and gauze canopy; Note: In this period, wealthy individuals would sometimes sleep on a hard pillow made of carved jade.
5
半夜涼初透。 at midnight, a chill starts to pierce through. 東籬把酒黃昏後。 By the eastern fence, I drink after dusk.
有暗香盈袖。 There is a faint fragrance filling up my sleeves.
莫道不銷魂， Do not say that it does not consume the soul:
簾卷西風， the western wind rolls up the curtain;
10
人比黃花瘦。 In
am thinner than the yellow flower. Note: The character 人, translated here as "I", literally means "the person", but refers to the speaker.
Critical Notes
Translation
Line number 2
Note: The “dragon brain incense” refers to a type of incense made from a subspecies of camphor tree, which was thought to look like a dragon.Translation
Line number 2
Note: The "metal beast" refers to the incense holder, many of which were shaped like animals.Translation
Line number 3
Note: The Double Ninth Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It takes place annually in early fall, the traditional harvest time, and thanks is given for nature's bounty.Translation
Line number 4
Note: In this period, wealthy individuals would sometimes sleep on a hard pillow made of carved jade.Translation
Line number 10
Note: The character 人, translated here as "I", literally means "the person", but refers to the speaker. Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.