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Liu Yong. "To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”—"I wake from a dream"." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 26. .
浪淘沙 | To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”
Source Information
浪淘沙 | To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”
by Liu Yong
Text Source:
Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 26.
Responsibility Statement:
- Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 26.
- Translation by Qian Jia
- Notes by Nina Du, Runqi Zhang, and Dante Zhu
- Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Manya Bansal and Dante Zhu
Editorial Principles:
Texts are translated into modern English with maximum fidelity to the original text, except where it would impair comprehension or good style. Archaisms are preserved where they do not conflict with the aesthetic of the original text. Creative translation choices are marked and discussed in the critical notes.
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.
浪淘沙 To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”
夢覺、 I wake from a dream,
透窗風一線， a thread of wind pierces the window.
寒燈吹息。 I blow out the cold lamp.
那堪酒醒， How can I bear to be sober?
5
又聞空階，夜雨頻滴。 Listening to the night rain dripping on the empty steps, 嗟因循、 sighing that my listlessness
久作天涯客。 slowly makes me a wanderer at the end of the world.
負佳人、 I have let the beautiful girl down—
幾許盟言， so many promises.
10
便忍把、 How could I have turned 從前歡會， the happy times of the past
陡頓翻成憂戚。 So suddenly into worry and regret?
愁極。 In the gravest sorrow,
再三追思， I recall again and again,
15
洞房深處， deep in the chamber, 幾度飲散歌闌， How many times drinks were finished and songs ended.
香暖鴛鴦被， The sweet, warm, mandarin duck quilt
c
. Critical note:
In traditional Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are believed to be monogamous, unlike other species of ducks. Hence they are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity and frequently featured in Chinese art. Quilts with patterns of mandarin ducks are often used in the bedrooms of lovers or married couples.
豈暫時疏散， Who could have known even a temporary separation
費伊心力。 would cost her heart’s strength?
20
殢雲尤雨， Cozying up to each other in cloud-and-rainc
, Critical note:
“Cloud and rain” alludes to the Song of Gao Tang (高唐赋), a work by Song Yu 宋玉, who lived during the Warring States period (453–221 BCE). The Song of Gao Tang narrates a brief love affair between the Huai King of Chu 楚怀王 and a mountain fairy which takes place in the king’s dream; in this dream, the mountain fairy describes her residence after their lovemaking as “made from the cloud in the morning, but comprised of rain in the evening”. The imagery of cloud and rain is often used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse in Chinese poetry.
有萬般千種， there were a thousand kinds
相憐相惜。 of love and tenderness.
恰到如今， Yet now
天長漏永， the days are long and the night is dark.
25
無端自家疏隔。 For no reason, I am separated from my own lover. 知何時、 Who knows when
卻擁秦雲態， I can embrace the Qin cloud once more
c
? Critical note:
“Cloud” refers to sex (see previous note), and “Qin cloud” doubly so because “Qin building” is a name for a brothel. According to legend, the original Qin building was built by the Qinmu King as a palace for his daughter and son-in-law. They were both so good at playing the vertical bamboo flute that their music attracted phoenixes, and the building where they played became famous. The meaning of the Qin building changed over time, and was later used to refer to brothels.
願低幃昵枕， I wish to lower the curtains and sink to the pillows,
輕輕細說與， whisper to her softly and slowly
30
江鄉夜夜， about the nights in this river town: 數寒更思憶。 as I counted the coldness
c
, I yearned for her more and more. Critical note:
In Chinese culture, winter is divided up into nine periods. These periods are called “nine”, and the winter starts from “the first nine”, and ends at “the ninth nine”. There is a tradition for one to count the nines during winter to keep track of how many days have passed since the beginning of winter. Here, “count the coldness” refers to this tradition, implying that the days are becoming colder and colder.
浪淘沙 To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”
夢覺、 I wake from a dream,
透窗風一線， a thread of wind pierces the window.
寒燈吹息。 I blow out the cold lamp.
那堪酒醒， How can I bear to be sober?
5
又聞空階，夜雨頻滴。 Listening to the night rain dripping on the empty steps, 嗟因循、 sighing that my listlessness
久作天涯客。 slowly makes me a wanderer at the end of the world.
負佳人、 I have let the beautiful girl down—
幾許盟言， so many promises.
10
便忍把、 How could I have turned 從前歡會， the happy times of the past
陡頓翻成憂戚。 So suddenly into worry and regret?
愁極。 In the gravest sorrow,
再三追思， I recall again and again,
15
洞房深處， deep in the chamber, 幾度飲散歌闌， How many times drinks were finished and songs ended.
香暖鴛鴦被， The sweet, warm, mandarin duck quilt
c
. Critical note:
In traditional Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are believed to be monogamous, unlike other species of ducks. Hence they are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity and frequently featured in Chinese art. Quilts with patterns of mandarin ducks are often used in the bedrooms of lovers or married couples.
豈暫時疏散， Who could have known even a temporary separation
費伊心力。 would cost her heart’s strength?
20
殢雲尤雨， Cozying up to each other in cloud-and-rainc
, Critical note:
“Cloud and rain” alludes to the Song of Gao Tang (高唐赋), a work by Song Yu 宋玉, who lived during the Warring States period (453–221 BCE). The Song of Gao Tang narrates a brief love affair between the Huai King of Chu 楚怀王 and a mountain fairy which takes place in the king’s dream; in this dream, the mountain fairy describes her residence after their lovemaking as “made from the cloud in the morning, but comprised of rain in the evening”. The imagery of cloud and rain is often used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse in Chinese poetry.
有萬般千種， there were a thousand kinds
相憐相惜。 of love and tenderness.
恰到如今， Yet now
天長漏永， the days are long and the night is dark.
25
無端自家疏隔。 For no reason, I am separated from my own lover. 知何時、 Who knows when
卻擁秦雲態， I can embrace the Qin cloud once more
c
? Critical note:
“Cloud” refers to sex (see previous note), and “Qin cloud” doubly so because “Qin building” is a name for a brothel. According to legend, the original Qin building was built by the Qinmu King as a palace for his daughter and son-in-law. They were both so good at playing the vertical bamboo flute that their music attracted phoenixes, and the building where they played became famous. The meaning of the Qin building changed over time, and was later used to refer to brothels.
願低幃昵枕， I wish to lower the curtains and sink to the pillows,
輕輕細說與， whisper to her softly and slowly
30
江鄉夜夜， about the nights in this river town: 數寒更思憶。 as I counted the coldness
c
, I yearned for her more and more. Critical note:
In Chinese culture, winter is divided up into nine periods. These periods are called “nine”, and the winter starts from “the first nine”, and ends at “the ninth nine”. There is a tradition for one to count the nines during winter to keep track of how many days have passed since the beginning of winter. Here, “count the coldness” refers to this tradition, implying that the days are becoming colder and colder.
Critical Notes
Translation
Line number 17
Critical note: In traditional Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are believed to be monogamous, unlike other species of ducks. Hence they are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity and frequently featured in Chinese art. Quilts with patterns of mandarin ducks are often used in the bedrooms of lovers or married couples.
Translation
Line number 20
Critical note: “Cloud and rain” alludes to the Song of Gao Tang (高唐赋), a work by Song Yu 宋玉, who lived during the Warring States period (453–221 BCE). The Song of Gao Tang narrates a brief love affair between the Huai King of Chu 楚怀王 and a mountain fairy which takes place in the king’s dream; in this dream, the mountain fairy describes her residence after their lovemaking as “made from the cloud in the morning, but comprised of rain in the evening”. The imagery of cloud and rain is often used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse in Chinese poetry.
Translation
Line number 27
Critical note: “Cloud” refers to sex (see previous note), and “Qin cloud” doubly so because “Qin building” is a name for a brothel. According to legend, the original Qin building was built by the Qinmu King as a palace for his daughter and son-in-law. They were both so good at playing the vertical bamboo flute that their music attracted phoenixes, and the building where they played became famous. The meaning of the Qin building changed over time, and was later used to refer to brothels.
Translation
Line number 31
Critical note: In Chinese culture, winter is divided up into nine periods. These periods are called “nine”, and the winter starts from “the first nine”, and ends at “the ninth nine”. There is a tradition for one to count the nines during winter to keep track of how many days have passed since the beginning of winter. Here, “count the coldness” refers to this tradition, implying that the days are becoming colder and colder.
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