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Su Shi. "To the tune "The Moon Over the West River"—"The Moon Shines on the Wild Fields"." 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, 284. .
西江月 | To the tune "The Moon Over the West River"
Source Information
西江月 | To the tune "The Moon Over the West River"
by Su Shi
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 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 284.
- 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 1. 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.
西江月 To the tune "The Moon Over the West River"
春夜行蘄水中過酒家飲。 Riding along the Qi River on a spring night, I stopped by an inn, where I had a few cups
c
. Critical note:
Refers to cups of alcohol, but the type of alcohol is unspecified.
酒醉， I got drunk,
乘月至 一溪橋上， and in the moonlight I stopped on a bridge over a creek;
解鞍曲肱少休。 taking down the saddle, I bent my arm and rested for a while.
及覺， When I woke up,
已曉。 it was already dawn.
亂山葱蘢， The disarray of mountains were green and lush;
不謂塵世也。 I thought that I was no longer in the dusty world
c
. Critical note:
The dust (塵) here means the dust scattered on the road when the carriages and horses pass through. 塵世 ("dusty world") was originally used to describe the noisy and bustling city, but became a metaphor for a society filled with distractions and false appearances. It often implies a sentiment of rejecting or being bored by this kind of lifestyle, and wanting to have something truthful (love, tranquility, or religious belief) which will transcend the pursuit of money or fame. It may also bear a spiritual meaning, in which the "dusty world" signifies the mortal world.
書此語橋柱 Thus I wrote
c
this on one of the pillars of the bridge. Critical note:
With a writing brush specifically for calligraphy.
照野瀰瀰淺浪， The moon shines on the wild fields; low waves surge on the vast water.
橫空隱隱層霄。 Across the sky are dim layers of clouds.
障泥未解玉驄驕。 The saddle is still tied to my fine, strong steed.
我欲醉眠芳草。 Yet I want to lie in drunkenness among the grass and flowers.
5
可惜一溪風月， How lovely, the beautiful moonlit view and the refreshing breeze on the creek. 莫教踏碎瓊瑤。 Do not let it trample the jade-like reflection of the creek into pieces
c
! Critical note:
“It” refers to the horse.
解鞍欹枕綠楊橋。 I untie the saddle, lean on it as a pillow, and lie on the Lü Yang bridge.
杜宇一聲春曉。 The cuckoo utters one cry and it is already dawn of a spring day.
西江月 To the tune "The Moon Over the West River"
春夜行蘄水中過酒家飲。 Riding along the Qi River on a spring night, I stopped by an inn, where I had a few cups
c
. Critical note:
Refers to cups of alcohol, but the type of alcohol is unspecified.
酒醉， I got drunk,
乘月至 一溪橋上， and in the moonlight I stopped on a bridge over a creek;
解鞍曲肱少休。 taking down the saddle, I bent my arm and rested for a while.
及覺， When I woke up,
已曉。 it was already dawn.
亂山葱蘢， The disarray of mountains were green and lush;
不謂塵世也。 I thought that I was no longer in the dusty world
c
. Critical note:
The dust (塵) here means the dust scattered on the road when the carriages and horses pass through. 塵世 ("dusty world") was originally used to describe the noisy and bustling city, but became a metaphor for a society filled with distractions and false appearances. It often implies a sentiment of rejecting or being bored by this kind of lifestyle, and wanting to have something truthful (love, tranquility, or religious belief) which will transcend the pursuit of money or fame. It may also bear a spiritual meaning, in which the "dusty world" signifies the mortal world.
書此語橋柱 Thus I wrote
c
this on one of the pillars of the bridge. Critical note:
With a writing brush specifically for calligraphy.
照野瀰瀰淺浪， The moon shines on the wild fields; low waves surge on the vast water.
橫空隱隱層霄。 Across the sky are dim layers of clouds.
障泥未解玉驄驕。 The saddle is still tied to my fine, strong steed.
我欲醉眠芳草。 Yet I want to lie in drunkenness among the grass and flowers.
5
可惜一溪風月， How lovely, the beautiful moonlit view and the refreshing breeze on the creek. 莫教踏碎瓊瑤。 Do not let it trample the jade-like reflection of the creek into pieces
c
! Critical note:
“It” refers to the horse.
解鞍欹枕綠楊橋。 I untie the saddle, lean on it as a pillow, and lie on the Lü Yang bridge.
杜宇一聲春曉。 The cuckoo utters one cry and it is already dawn of a spring day.
Critical Notes
Translation
Unnumbered line
Critical note: Refers to cups of alcohol, but the type of alcohol is unspecified.
Translation
Unnumbered line
Critical note: The dust (塵) here means the dust scattered on the road when the carriages and horses pass through. 塵世 ("dusty world") was originally used to describe the noisy and bustling city, but became a metaphor for a society filled with distractions and false appearances. It often implies a sentiment of rejecting or being bored by this kind of lifestyle, and wanting to have something truthful (love, tranquility, or religious belief) which will transcend the pursuit of money or fame. It may also bear a spiritual meaning, in which the "dusty world" signifies the mortal world.
Translation
Unnumbered line
Critical note: With a writing brush specifically for calligraphy.
Translation
Line number 6
Critical note: “It” refers to the horse.
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