Li Bai's "Changgan Travel" (300 Tang Poems #43)

Year

Sat, 2012-01-14 12:00

Translation

Li Bai (701-762)	李白
Changgan Travel	長干行

My hair was short, beginning to cover my forehead	妾髮初覆額
Picking flowers by the gate in front, playing games...	折花門前劇
You rode in on a bamboo pole, playing horse	郎騎竹馬來
Circling around the couch, toying the plums	遶床弄青梅
Together we lived in the village of Changgan	同居長干里
Both of us young, innocent...	兩小無嫌猜
***
At 14, I became your wife—	十四為君婦
Timid, shy, a face that never opened	羞顏未嘗開
I lowered my head and faced the shadowy wall	低頭向暗壁
You’d call a thousand times without response...	千喚不一回
But by 15, I began to beam with joy—	十五始展眉
Desiring to be together till we’re dust and ashes	願同塵與灰
Always cherishing your embrace, trusting you, my pillar:	常存抱柱信
How I went up to that terrace, waiting for my husband.	豈上望夫臺
At 16, you went on a far-off trip...	十六君遠行
Through the Qutang Gorge, by the reefs of Yanyu—	瞿塘灩澦堆
Dangerous—those you cannot touch in May	五月不可觸
For that would send to the sky my sad monkey cries **	猿鳴天上哀
By the front gate your footprints remain	門前遲行跡
And one-by-one they’re growing green with moss	一一生綠苔
Moss so deep I cannot sweep it away...	苔深不能掃
The dead, falling leaves come with autumn wind, early	落葉秋風早
And in August, the butterflies come:	八月蝴蝶來
A couple of them fly among the grass in the western garden:	雙飛西園草
And thinking of them, my heart aches—	感此傷妾心
For while sitting with anxious worry, this rosy girl turns old ***	坐愁紅顏老
Sooner or later you’ll come from the towns of Ba	早晚下三巴
You’ll write a letter letting me know you’re coming home	預將書報家
And we’ll welcome each other along the way—	相迎不道遠
Even if I have to go to the Town of Wind and Sand	直至長風沙

Notes:

1. Subject: xíng(行) is a genre of ancient poetry.

2. 8^th / 9^th /10^th verses describe the woman in the poem: when she was a newly-wed, she was still shy.

3. 11^th verse (Shí wǔ shǐ zhǎn méi): after a while, the woman felt at ease in the husband’s family. So she can hang loose and smile (unfold the eyebrow).

4. 12^th verse (Yuàn tóng chén yǔ huī) expresses the woman wants to be with husband forever, even when they die (dust and ashes).

5. 13^th / 14^th verses, there are two legends here. These two lines are also frequently quoted in modern days. In the book, Zhuang Zi (庄子), it recorded a story: A man had a date with a woman near the bridge. Before the woman showed up, but the tidewater came. In order to keep his words, he held the bridge pier/pillar and was drowned. The other story is about a fisherman’s wife who is anxiously waiting for her husband to return. So she climbed on a hill to look at the distance. Eventually, she became a stone there. Thus, the place is called “wàng fu tái” (Expecting Husband Terrace)
In all, the woman explains their love is solid, so she will never become the lady in the legend.

6. 16^th / 17^th verses, in lunar calendar May, the high tide buries Yanyudui (the big reef). So it’s hard for boats to evade the reef and thus easy to cause an accident.

7. Verse 18: Monkey cries are often a symbol of sadness in Chinese literature.

8. The poem has conveyed the sincere hope the wife cherished. This genre of poetry reveals common people’s life.

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation

李白	李白	Li bái
長干行	长干行	Cháng gàn xíng

妾髮初覆額，	妾发初覆额，	Qiè fà chū fù é,
折花門前劇；	折花门前剧;	Zhé huā mén qián jù;
郎騎竹馬來，	郎骑竹马来，	Láng qí zhú mǎ lái,
遶床弄青梅。	绕床弄青梅。	Rào chuáng nòng qīng méi.
同居長干里，	同居长干里，	Tóng jū cháng gàn lǐ,
兩小無嫌猜。	两小无嫌猜。	Liǎng xiǎo wú xián cāi.
十四為君婦，	十四为君妇，	Shí sì wéi jūn fù,
羞顏未嘗開；	羞颜未尝开;	Xiū yán wèi cháng kāi;
低頭向暗壁，	低头向暗壁，	Dī tóu xiàng àn bì,
千喚不一回，	千唤不一回，	Qiān huàn bù yī huí,
十五始展眉，	十五始展眉，	Shí wǔ shǐ zhǎn méi,
願同塵與灰；	愿同尘与灰;	Yuàn tóng chén yǔ huī;
常存抱柱信，	常存抱柱信，	Cháng cún bào zhù xìn,
豈上望夫臺？	岂上望夫台？	Qǐ shàng wàng fu tái?
十六君遠行，	十六君远行，	Shí liù jūn yuǎn xíng,
瞿塘灩澦堆；	瞿塘滟滪堆;	Qú táng yàn yù duī;
五月不可觸，	五月不可触，	Wǔ yuè bù kě chù,
猿鳴天上哀。	猿鸣天上哀。	Yuán míng tiān shàng āi.
門前遲行跡，	门前迟行迹，	Mén qián zhí xíng jì,
一一生綠苔；	一一生绿苔;	Yī yī shēng lǜ tái;
苔深不能掃，	苔深不能扫，	Tái shēn bù néng sǎo,
落葉秋風早。	落叶秋风早。	Luò yè qiū fēng zǎo.
八月蝴蝶來，	八月蝴蝶来，	Bā yuè hú dié lái,
雙飛西園草。	双飞西园草。	Shuāng fēi xi yuán cǎo.
感此傷妾心，	感此伤妾心，	Gǎn cǐ shāng qiè xīn,
坐愁紅顏老。	坐愁红颜老。	Zuò chóu hóng yán lǎo.
早晚下三巴，	早晚下三巴，	Zǎo wǎn xià sān bā,
預將書報家；	预将书报家;	Yù jiāng shū bào jiā;
相迎不道遠，	相迎不道远，	Xiāng yíng bù dào yuǎn,
直至長風沙。	直至长风沙。	Zhí zhì cháng fēng shā.

Literal Translation

李白	Plum White=Li Bai (701-762)
長干行	Long tree-trunk trip [Long tree-trunk=Changgan, a place in Nanjing, near Yangtze River.]

妾髮初覆額，	I/My(fem.) hair begin cover forehead [begin cover forehead= hair was still short]
折花門前劇；	Pick flower door in-front play-games
郎騎竹馬來，	You(masc.) ride bamboo horse come [bamboo horse=kid’s game, ride on a bamboo pole as horse-riding]
遶床弄青梅。	Circle-around couch play-with green plum
同居長干里，	Together live-with/dwell long tree-trunk village [long tree-trunk inside= same place as in the subject]
兩小無嫌猜。	Both/two young no suspect guess [no suspect guess= no suspicion, innocent and childlike]
十四為君婦，	Ten four as gentleman/your wife [Ten four= fourteen], [gentlewoman= respectful way to address “your”], [gentleman woman= your wife]
羞顏未嘗開；	Timid/shy countenance/face not yet/ever open
低頭向暗壁，	Lower head toward dark/secret wall [lower head = bow]
千喚不一回，	Thousand call not one/single response.
十五始展眉，	Ten five begin unfold eyebrow [Ten five= fifteen], [unfold eyebrow = beam with joy, all smiles]
願同塵與灰；	Desire/want together dust and ashes
常存抱柱信，	Always cherish/keep embrace pillar/lean-on trust/will
豈上望夫臺？	How go-up look-towards/expect/gaze husband terrace/platform
十六君遠行，	Ten six gentleman/you faraway trip [gentleman= you, same as the previous use]
瞿塘灩澦堆；	Startled pond tossing-of-billows Yu pile [Startled pond= name, Qutang Gorge, the upper of the Three Gorges], [tossing-of-billows Yu pile= Yanyului, name of a big reef in the Gorge]
五月不可觸，	Five month not may/can touch/contact/stir-emotions [Five month= May] , [touch= bump into the reef]
猿鳴天上哀。	Monkey cry sky send-up sad/mournful
門前遲行跡，	Door in-front late/slow/always walk/trip trace/footprint [late= here used as a variant of zhí(直), always]
一一生綠苔；	One one grow green moss [One one= one after another]
苔深不能掃，	Moss deep not able-to/can sweep/clear-away
落葉秋風早。	Falling/dead leaves autumn wind early
八月蝴蝶來，	Eight month butterfly butterfly come [Eight month= August], [butterfly butterfly= butterfly]
雙飛西園草。	Pair/couple fly west garden grass
感此傷妾心，	Feel this/these hurt my heart
坐愁紅顏老。	Sit/because anxious/worry-about red face old [Sit= because, ancient meaning for Zuò], [red face= a beautiful young woman, rosy cheeks]
早晚下三巴，	Soon/morning late/evening go-down three anxiously-hope [Soon late= how soon, when, morning and evening], [three hope= Three Ba, the 3 places are all in Sichuan Province.]
預將書報家；	Intend/prepare will/shall letter report/book home
相迎不道遠，	One-another welcome not path/tell far/distant
直至長風沙。	Until reach/to long wind sand [Until reach = lasting until, up till (present)], [long wind sand= place name, Changfengsha, it’s along the Yangtze River in Anqing, Anhui Province. According to poet Lu You(陸游), it’s about 350km aways from Nanjing. The road trip is also risky.]

The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.

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