A bili is a wind instrument originally from Central Asia in the Turkestan area. It is made out of bamboo reeds and looks something like a flute.
As in Li Qi’s other poems on music, he uses visual imagery to symbolize the pace and feeling of music, such as a whirlwhind for quick tempo, withered trees for a dismal scene, and birds chirping chaotically for a joyous frenzy.
Translation
By Li Qi (690-751) | 李頎 |
Listening to An Wanshan Play a Bili Song | 聽安萬善吹觱篥歌 |
From the Southern Hill we cut bamboo to make the bili | 南山 截竹 為觱篥 |
This music originally came from Turkestan | 此樂 本自 龜茲出 |
And spread among the Han soil, turning the tune unique | 流傳 漢地 曲轉奇 |
A Liangzhou Tribesman, a Hu, he plays for me | 涼州 胡人 為我吹 |
Nearby neighbors, those that hear, many sigh in admiration | 傍鄰 聞者 多歎息 |
Travelers faraway missing home, tears falling from them all ~~ | 遠客 思鄉 皆淚垂 |
Commoners understand the listening, but not the appreciation ~~ | 世人 解聽 不解賞 |
A long whirlwind the midst of wind going by its own accord | 長飆 風中 自來往 |
Withered mulberries aged cypress trees the cold rustling rustling | 枯桑 老柏 寒颼飀 |
Nine baby birds a crying phoenix chaotic chirping chirping | 九雛 鳴鳳 亂啾啾 |
A dragon hums a tiger roars— a moment in time | 龍吟 虎嘯 一時發 |
Thousands of tunes hundreds of springs joining together in autumn | 萬籟 百泉 相與秋 |
Suddenly it changes to bleak as if it’s Fishing in the Sun | 忽然 更作 漁陽摻 |
Dark clouds and mournful sighing of wind: the daytime gloom | 黃雲 蕭條 白日暗 |
And then a change in tune like hearing Poplar Willow in lustful spring | 變調 如聞 楊柳春 |
Shangling Palace flowing in flowers— novel, shining before our eyes ~~ | 上林 繁花 照眼新 |
It’s New Year’s Eve and the chamber hall is laid out bright in candles | 歲夜 高堂 列明燭 |
My beautiful wine: a single cup a single tune | 美酒 一杯 聲一曲 |
Notes:
1. Poet Li Qi is famous for three themes of poetries: farewell, frontier life, music-related. His 3 music-related poems were chosen into 300 Tang.
2. 2nd verse: Citizens of Qiuci Kindom are famous for their music talents. They’ve created some unique music/dancing styles.
3. The music instrument in the poem (Bi Li or So-na), similar as reed pipes, usually delivers a bleak feeling. The poem was also written on the Chinese New Year’s Eve, when Li was far away from his hometown. No wonder he feels lonely and sad.
4. Fishing in the Sun (Fishing Sun Mix) = Yuyangcan, a drum tune’s name, it’s solemn but sorrowful
5. Poplar Willow = Willow tree, a lively tune’s name.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李頎 | 李颀 | Li qí |
聽安萬善吹觱篥歌 | 听安万善吹觱篥歌 | Tīng ān wàn shàn chuī bì lì gē |
南山截竹為觱篥， | 南山截竹为觱篥， | Nán shān jié zhú wèi bì lì, |
此樂本自龜茲出。 | 此乐本自龟兹出。 | Cǐ yuè běn zì qiū cí chū. |
流傳漢地曲轉奇， | 流传汉地曲转奇， | Liú chuán hàn dì qū zhuǎn qí, |
涼州胡人為我吹； | 凉州胡人为我吹; | Liáng zhōu hú rén wéi wǒ chuī; |
傍鄰聞者多歎息， | 傍邻闻者多叹息， | Bàng lín wén zhě duō tàn xí, |
遠客思鄉皆淚垂。 | 远客思乡皆泪垂。 | Yuǎn kè sī xiāng jiē lèi chuí. |
世人解聽不解賞， | 世人解听不解赏， | Shì rén jiě tīng bù jiě shǎng, |
長飆風中自來往。 | 长飙风中自来往。 | Cháng biāo fēng zhōng zì lái wǎng. |
枯桑老柏寒颼飀， | 枯桑老柏寒飕飗， | Kū sāng lǎo bǎi hán sōu liú, |
九雛鳴鳳亂啾啾。 | 九雏鸣凤乱啾啾。 | Jiǔ chú míng fèng luàn jiū jiū. |
龍吟虎嘯一時發， | 龙吟虎啸一时发， | Lóng yín hǔ xiào yì shí fā, |
萬籟百泉相與秋。 | 万籁百泉相与秋。 | Wàn lài bǎi quán xiāng yǔ qiū. |
忽然更作漁陽摻， | 忽然更作渔阳掺， | Hū rán gēng zuò yú yáng càn, |
黃雲蕭條白日暗。 | 黄云萧条白日暗。 | Huáng yún xiāo tiáo bái rì àn. |
變調如聞楊柳春， | 变调如闻杨柳春， | Biàn diào rú wén yáng liǔ chūn, |
上林繁花照眼新。 | 上林繁花照眼新。 | Shàng lín fán huā zhào yǎn xīn. |
歲夜高堂列明燭， | 岁夜高堂列明烛， | Suì yè gāo táng liè míng zhú, |
美酒一杯聲一曲。 | 美酒一杯声一曲。 | Měi jiǔ yì bēi shēng yì qū. |
Literal Translation
李頎 | Plum Tall = Li Qi(690-751) | |
聽安萬善吹觱篥歌 | Listen Safe Wan(10-thousand) Kind blow Tartar-horn Bugle song | |
[Safe Wan(10-thousand) Kind= An Wanshan, a Hu person’s name, who’ll be introduced in this poem later.] [Tartar-horn Bugle = BiLi= So-na, a traditional bamboo reed instrument, similar to reed pipes and trumpets] | ||
南山截竹為觱篥， | Southern mountain cut bamboo for/make tartar-horn bugle [tartar-horn bugle = Bi Li] | |
此樂本自龜茲出。 | This music originally from Turtle This produce [Turtle This=Qiuci, ancient name of Kuche County in Xinjiang, Qiuci was one ancient Turkestan kindom, whose grotto history is even longer than the famous Dunhuang Grottoes.] | |
流傳漢地曲轉奇， | Spread/circulate transmit Han soil tune turn/change special/unique | |
涼州胡人為我吹； | Cool Province Reckless Person for/because me blow [Cool Province = Liangzhou, a place in Gansu Province], [Reckless Person = Hu Person], [Cool Province Reckless Person refers to An Wanshan, the person appeared in the Title] | |
傍鄰聞者多歎息， | Nearby neighbor hear people many sigh/admire breath [sigh breath= sigh] | |
遠客思鄉皆淚垂。 | Faraway/distant guests/travelers miss hometown all tears falling [miss hometown = homesick] | |
世人解聽不解賞， | World people understand listening not understand appreciate [World people = common people] | |
長飆風中自來往。 | Long whirlwind wind inside/within self come go [whirlwhind wind= whirlwind, metaphor of quick-tempo tunes], [self come = from the beginning, always, come of one’s own accord] | |
枯桑老柏寒颼飀， | Dried-up/withered mulberry-tree old cypress cold soughing/shhh rustling/rushing/whish/shhhh [The verse depicts the tune turned dismal.] | |
九雛鳴鳳亂啾啾。 | Nine baby-birds cry phoenix messy/confusion/disorder/chaotic chirp/wail chirp/cry [chirp chirp= Jiujiu, descriptive word of the bird sound], [The verse depicts now the music is light but in chivaree. ] | |
龍吟虎嘯一時發， | Dragon hum/sing/moan tiger roar/hiss one moment appear [Dragon hum tiger roar= Chinese idiom meaning a a bursting, roaring sound], [one moment = a pariod of time, short while, momentary] | |
萬籟百泉相與秋。 | Wan(10-thousand) music hundred springs each-other/mutual and/with/take-part-in autumn/fall [Wan(10-thousand)= exaggeration, means many] [springs= spring water, it connected with the Dragon’s idiom, when Dragon hums, the spring will sing.] | |
忽然更作漁陽摻， | Suddenly certainly change play Fishing Sun Mix [Suddenly certainly = suddenly, all of a sudden] [Fishing Sun Mix= Yuyangcan, a drum tune’s name, it’s solemn but sorrowful] | |
黃雲蕭條白日暗。 | Yellow clouds mournful/sighing-of-the-wind item white/bright sun dim/dark/gloomy [Yellow clouds= dark clouds], [mournful item= bleak, desolate, depressed], [white sun = daytime] | |
變調如聞楊柳春， | Change/alter tune as-if/like hear Poplar Willow spring/joyful/youth/love/lust [Poplar Willow= Willow tree, a lively tune’s name] | |
上林繁花照眼新。 | Upper Forest many/complicated/complex flowers shine eyes new/fresh [Upper Forest= Shanglin was an old Qin’s Palace’s name, here refers to Tang’s Palace.], [many flowers = flourishing blossoms, luxuriant], [shine eyes new= a brand new image emerges], | |
歲夜高堂列明燭， | Year-old night high hall lay/arranged bright candles [Year-old night= New Year’s eve, discloses when the poem was composed.] [high hall= home’s main hall] | |
美酒一杯聲一曲。 | Beautiful/nice wine one cup sound one tune | |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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