Bai Juyi: Pipa Style: Part One

Pipa Style: Part One

Forward:

This prose poem is long enough is be broken into three parts.  So the first part is found below.  Bai wrote a short introduction before starting the poem itself.

Introduction:

In 815 AD, I was demoted from a mid-level position in Jiujiang prefecture
During the second autumn
At the send-off for guest Pen Pukou
From another boat was heard the playing of night time pipa music
This music twanged the proper capital city sound
Asking this player, she is originally from Chang’an
A professional singing lady who learned to play
From the masters Mu and Chao
Two wise and excellent talents.

Years after a woman’s beauty declines
She lowers herself to serve as the wife of a business man
Then we order wine and have her quickly play us a few songs
Music stops
She talks about herself and the happiness of former times
And of the turn of events
Futile efforts within the vagrant life.

I left after two years in the palace
Calm, serene, happy and content with myself
Talking this evening with this touching lady
Begin to think about this demotion to a minor post in the rural hinterlands
Because of a suggestion
This long prose poem used and presented as a gift
Together 612 words entitled “Pipa Style”.

Poem:

I dismounted from my horse, the guests were in the boat
Want to drink and toast with wine
Even without wind instrument music
Drinking does not bring happiness
But depressed from the upcoming farewells.

At the time of our farewells
The moon immersed in the vast and boundless river
Suddenly heard the water above the pipa sounds.

This poet forgets to go back
The guest’s boat has yet to set off
Following these mysterious sounds
Asking who is the player?

Pipa sounds stop, hesitating to speak
We move the boats closer together
Invite them all over to ours
Come back with more wine
And with a lantern, open again the banquet spread
After many pleas and summons
She begins to come out.

Still holding the pipa that covers up half of her face
Turning the tuning pegs
Strumming each string two or three times for the proper sounds.

Cannot create a song or melody until first having an emotion
Trying different strings
Hidden and restrained soft sounds while pondering what to play.

It seems that she recounted her whole life story
Unhappy to have not achieved her dreams and ambitions
Her lowered face
Playing casually and easily over and over
Expressing the limitless matter of what is inside the heart
With the slightest touch
Slowly twisting, then plucking again with smooth wiping motions.

Notes:
Pipa: Ancient four-stringed musical instrument.  During the Tang Dynasty it was held horizontally like a guitar.  Today it is held almost in a vertical position.  It evolved from the lute of the Near East.

Jiujiang prefecture: Located in northwest Jiangxi Province, on the southern shores of the Changjiang River.

Chang’an: Ancient capital during the Tang Dynasty.  Modern day city of Xi’an.