Bai Juyi: The Long Song of Remorse: Part Three

The Long Song of Remorse: Part Three

The bright galaxies of the Milky Way
Disappear in the daybreak light
Heavy frost on the roof tiles look like mandarin ducks and drakes
Cold jade green quilt
With whom to share?
It feels like he has lived for many years without her
Yet actually she departed just a few years ago
Not once has her soul come back into his dreams.

In the city of Lin Gong
A Daoist priest of Hong Du
With complete sincerity he can summon and send her soul to him
Emperor thinks about her over and over again
The Dao alchemist eager to please, tried to search and then summon her
Clouds dispersed too quickly the air moved like lightning
Ascending into heaven–looking deeply inside the earth
Looking everywhere–high and low
To the limits of Nirvana above and the Nether World below
Through these two boundless spaces she is not seen.

Suddenly found the immortal’s mountain above the ocean
This purely imaginary mountain between high and low
Their palace buildings exquisitely made
Five auspicious and colored clouds
Among the many graceful and lovely immortals.
Inside was one named Tai Zhen
With snow-white skin and a face like a flower
Yes, it is her.

At the western wing of the celestial Golden Palace
He knocks on the jade front door
Yang Guifei awakens and turns around to summon her attendants
Han family emperor’s envoy heard from the emperor’s Daoist envoy
Nine radiant silk curtains pulled aside
Inside, her dream soul was surprised
She put on her robe, pushed aside her pillow and then hesitated
As silver and pearl screens pulled aside one-by-one.

Having just awoken
Her hair in a bun, falling to one side
Garland crown of flowers askew
She goes downstairs to the entry hall
A breeze sways, ruffles and then raises up this immortal’s sleeves
Just like in the Rainbow Skirt Dance.

Tears streaming down the lonely, pretty lady’s face
Like the spring rain on one twig with a pear blossom
Her cherished feeling, and the gazed look of a thankful emperor
Two faces remote and distant
And the sound of one departing voice:

Inside the Palace of Morning Light
Conjugal love was cut short
Inside the imperial palace on Penglai Island
The days and nights go on and on
Turning around and looking down below
Towards worldly people and places
Unable to see Chang’an through the earth’s mists
Only ancient things can convey these intimate feelings from our shared past.

About to leave, she sends him an inlaid hairpin box and a gold hairpin
Take one half of the hairpin
And one half of the bifold box
Moving the yellow gold hair ornament open and closed
I wish our hearts to be like this gold hairpin
Faithful, solid and strong
We will meet again on Earth and in Heaven
At parting they gladly exchanged their solemn vows
An interior pledge that only their two hearts know.

Seventh day of the seventh month at the Long Life hot springs spa
At midnight when no one was around and all was quiet
Their hearts spoke to each other saying:

In heaven, we hope to fly like two birds wing-to-wing
On earth, we want to grow together like tree branches intertwined
Enduring and eternal as heaven and earth
Though our time here is finished
This unbroken and continuous regret will never end.

Notes:

Priest of Hong Du: Hong Du is a school of Daoism that attempts to summon the spirits of the dead.

Tai Zhen: The Daoist name of Yang Guifei.

Rainbow Skirt Dance: A romantically enchanting dance, personally choreographed by emperor Xuanzong for Yang Guifei. The story involved both reality and fantasy, including emotional love with magical beauty. The emperor’s inspiration came from the mythological mountain on the island of Penglai, the home of immortals. The dancer’s skirt and cape were rainbow colors and feathered. Long sleeves were flared and billowed. They also wore headgear with golden hairpins and ornaments. The musical score was in three movements and involved flutes, lyrical songs and dances.

Penglai Island: Mythological island of immortals in the Yellow Sea.