STUDY IN CHINA GLOBAL (SCG)散佚残句：
原作：李清照
英译：闵晓红
1.诗情如夜鹊，
三绕未能安。
2.少陵也自可怜人，
更待来年试春草。
3. 南渡衣冠欠王导，
北来消息少刘琨。
4.露花倒影柳三变，
桂子飘香张九成。
5.南游尚怯吴江冷，
北狩应悲易水寒
Poem fragments as quoted in other people’s writings:
Written by: Li Qingzhao
English translation by Julia Min
1. Heart like water as in poetry vibes,
restless like magpies circling at night.
2. My empathy goes to the poor horse of Shaoling,
for enduring patience for the grass of next spring.
3. We need Wang Dao for our Court roaming south.
and can’t find Liu Kun in the news from the north.
4. The water reflection plays a show
of dewy flowers by Sanbian Liu.
The scented breeze tells a scented tale
of the Osmanthus by the recluse Wugou.
5. We know the Wu River is cold here in the south;
so how cold the Yi River when they hunt north!
Notes:
1. the poor horse of Shaoling: Du Fu, one of the greatest poet in Chinese history, called himself ‘Shaoling Yelao’, a self-depreciation meaning ‘descent family background but now in a desolate commoner’, which is similar to the self-mockery name of ‘Dongpo’ meaning the east slope where Su Shi farmed to survive after his experience in prison.
2. the grass of next year: both the horse and the grass are metaphoric where the horse refers to Du Fu and next year’s green grass hints the Royal Exam in the coming spring, hence the empathy towards Du Fu’s huge efforts but repeated failed experience in the exams.
3. Liu Kun: a patriotic hero, referred here to imply the lack of such fighters in the Song court, reminding us of the Song General Yuefei being killed by the emperor.
4. a show of … Liu: an irony on the famous poet Liu Yong for the flowery and erotic language in his ci-poem writings. His birth name was Liu Sanbian, meaning literally ‘willow’s three changes/characters’.
5. a scented tale: an associated irony implying the flowery language in the Osmanthus poem by Zhang Wugou, another poet and official who later lived a reclusive life.
6. the Yi River: ‘Yishui’ in Chinese pinyin, in today’s Yi County in Hebei Province; Here it refers to the heroic song written and sung at the river by Prince Yan to see off his hero Jingke to kill the Qin Emperor — a trip of no return ( about 227 BC). Since then, ‘the Song of Yishui’ had always been a farewell song to heroes before their trip to battles. Yi’an used the story to hint the two emperors taken by the Jin to the north might not be able to return. ‘hunt north’ is just the Court message for the public, a way to cover the real story. Please refer to her other poem: “ Two Poems to Lord Han Xiaowei”
Reference:
1. baike.baidu.com (百度百科)
2. zh.wikipedia.org (维基百科）
3. 《李清照集笺注》李清照撰，徐培均笺注； 2002年上海古籍出版社
4. 《李清照文集》 作者：（北宋）李清照著，刘振鹏https://books.google.com.au/
