A Digital Repository of Medieval Texts
. "To the tune “The Moon Over the West River”—Pingshan Hall." 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, 302. .
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
Text Source:
Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 302.
Responsibility Statement:
- Text based on Tang, Guizhang 唐圭璋 (ed.). Quan Song Ci 全宋詞. Vol 1. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1965, 302.
- 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”
c
平山堂 Pingshan HallCritical note:
This song was written in 1079 when the speaker passed by the city of Yangzhou.
c
Critical note:
Pingshan Hall was the study of Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072 CE), who was a mentor to Su Shi. This whole song is a commemoration of the speaker’s beloved teacher.
三過平山堂下， By the time I stopped by the Pingshan Hall for the third time
c
, Critical note:
Su Shi was transferred to Hangzhou as a Tong Pan (a court official in charge of food transportation and irrigation works); later he was transferred to Mizhou in 1074. By the time he wrote the song, it was his third time being transferred and passing by Pingshan Hall on his journey to the new posting.
半生彈指聲中。 Half of my lifetime had gone in a flick of the finger
c
. Critical note:
“A flick of the finger” refers to the transitory nature of time. It is a quantifier for time in Buddhist Scriptures. According to Buddhist Scriptures, the time period of twenty thoughts equals a moment, and twenty moments equal a flick of the finger.
十年不見老仙翁。 For ten years I have not seen the old immortal
c
, Critical note:
The “old immortal” refers to the poet’s mentor and friend, Ouyang Xiu, who had already passed away when Su Shi wrote this song.
壁上龍蛇飛動。 On the walls, dragons fly and serpents move
c
. Critical note:
The “dragons” and “serpents” refer to Ouyang Xiu’s calligraphy.
5
欲弔文章太守， I want to commemorate the Prefect of Fine Composition, 仍歌楊柳春風。 but instead, I sing the song for the willow and the spring breeze
c
. Critical note:
“The willow”, “the spring breeze”, and “the Prefect of Fine Composition” all come from Ouyang Xiu’s ci “Seeing Liu Zhongyuanfu Off For His Departure to Guard Weiyang”. “The Prefect of Fine Composition” was originally used by Ouyang Xiu to describe his friend, Liu Zhongyuanfu, but here, Su Shi is using it to refer to Ouyang Xiu. “The willow” and “the spring breeze” imagery are taken from the same song: “The willow planted by me [i.e. Ouyang Xiu] in front of Pingshan Hall, after I left, has turned green many times in the spring breeze”. Ouyang Xiu's song expresses a desire to live in the moment, which may also be the sentiment Su Shi wishes to convey with this line.
休言萬事轉頭空。 Do not say that all things become empty in a blink of an eye.
未轉頭時皆夢。 Even before your eyes blink, it is all just a dream.
西江月 To the tune “The Moon Over the West River”
c
平山堂 Pingshan HallCritical note:
This song was written in 1079 when the speaker passed by the city of Yangzhou.
c
Critical note:
Pingshan Hall was the study of Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072 CE), who was a mentor to Su Shi. This whole song is a commemoration of the speaker’s beloved teacher.
三過平山堂下， By the time I stopped by the Pingshan Hall for the third time
c
, Critical note:
Su Shi was transferred to Hangzhou as a Tong Pan (a court official in charge of food transportation and irrigation works); later he was transferred to Mizhou in 1074. By the time he wrote the song, it was his third time being transferred and passing by Pingshan Hall on his journey to the new posting.
半生彈指聲中。 Half of my lifetime had gone in a flick of the finger
c
. Critical note:
“A flick of the finger” refers to the transitory nature of time. It is a quantifier for time in Buddhist Scriptures. According to Buddhist Scriptures, the time period of twenty thoughts equals a moment, and twenty moments equal a flick of the finger.
十年不見老仙翁。 For ten years I have not seen the old immortal
c
, Critical note:
The “old immortal” refers to the poet’s mentor and friend, Ouyang Xiu, who had already passed away when Su Shi wrote this song.
壁上龍蛇飛動。 On the walls, dragons fly and serpents move
c
. Critical note:
The “dragons” and “serpents” refer to Ouyang Xiu’s calligraphy.
5
欲弔文章太守， I want to commemorate the Prefect of Fine Composition, 仍歌楊柳春風。 but instead, I sing the song for the willow and the spring breeze
c
. Critical note:
“The willow”, “the spring breeze”, and “the Prefect of Fine Composition” all come from Ouyang Xiu’s ci “Seeing Liu Zhongyuanfu Off For His Departure to Guard Weiyang”. “The Prefect of Fine Composition” was originally used by Ouyang Xiu to describe his friend, Liu Zhongyuanfu, but here, Su Shi is using it to refer to Ouyang Xiu. “The willow” and “the spring breeze” imagery are taken from the same song: “The willow planted by me [i.e. Ouyang Xiu] in front of Pingshan Hall, after I left, has turned green many times in the spring breeze”. Ouyang Xiu's song expresses a desire to live in the moment, which may also be the sentiment Su Shi wishes to convey with this line.
休言萬事轉頭空。 Do not say that all things become empty in a blink of an eye.
未轉頭時皆夢。 Even before your eyes blink, it is all just a dream.
Critical Notes
Translation
Line number 1
Critical note: Su Shi was transferred to Hangzhou as a Tong Pan (a court official in charge of food transportation and irrigation works); later he was transferred to Mizhou in 1074. By the time he wrote the song, it was his third time being transferred and passing by Pingshan Hall on his journey to the new posting.
Translation
Line number 2
Critical note: “A flick of the finger” refers to the transitory nature of time. It is a quantifier for time in Buddhist Scriptures. According to Buddhist Scriptures, the time period of twenty thoughts equals a moment, and twenty moments equal a flick of the finger.
Translation
Line number 3
Critical note: The “old immortal” refers to the poet’s mentor and friend, Ouyang Xiu, who had already passed away when Su Shi wrote this song.
Translation
Line number 4
Critical note: The “dragons” and “serpents” refer to Ouyang Xiu’s calligraphy.
Translation
Line number 6
Critical note: “The willow”, “the spring breeze”, and “the Prefect of Fine Composition” all come from Ouyang Xiu’s ci “Seeing Liu Zhongyuanfu Off For His Departure to Guard Weiyang”. “The Prefect of Fine Composition” was originally used by Ouyang Xiu to describe his friend, Liu Zhongyuanfu, but here, Su Shi is using it to refer to Ouyang Xiu. “The willow” and “the spring breeze” imagery are taken from the same song: “The willow planted by me [i.e. Ouyang Xiu] in front of Pingshan Hall, after I left, has turned green many times in the spring breeze”. Ouyang Xiu's song expresses a desire to live in the moment, which may also be the sentiment Su Shi wishes to convey with this line.
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