Translation
By Li Bai (701-762) | 李白 |
Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Autumn | 子夜四時歌秋歌 |
Over Chang’an, a slice of moon | 長安 一片月 |
In thousands of households the sound of pounding clothes | 萬戶 擣衣聲 |
The autumn wind blows, unceasing | 秋風 吹不盡 |
Always worried about the Gate of Jade | 總是 玉關情 |
And when we can quiet the northern barbarians, | 何日 平胡虜 |
Our men of virtue finishing their far campaign. | 良人 罷遠征 |
Notes:
1. 1st verse: Chang’an is the ancient name for modern Xi’an.
2. 2nd verse (Wàn hù dǎo yī shēng), in old society, usually women wash the clothes by pounding them with mallets. They were washing the clothes for their husbands, who were gone at the battle fields. Usually, women pound clothes in the daytime so they can see better. During war time, when the males were all gone, women had more farm work to do in the daytime. So they could only wash clothes under the moon. This scene portrays housewives also had a tough time during the wars.
3. 3rd / 4th verse, the wind can’t blow away the clothes pounding sound. As an analogy, the wind can’t dissipate the wives’ longing for their husbands. Also, autumn wind is symbolic of melancholy.
4. 4th verse: Gate of Jade (jade mountain pass) is the vital passage to Turkestan. It was near Dunhuang, Gansu Province.
5. 5th verse: The northern barbarians (Huns, Mongols, Turks, Tibetans), who used to invade China from time to time through different dynasties.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李白 | 李白 | Li Bái |
子夜四時歌秋歌 | 子夜四时歌秋歌 | Zǐ yè sì shí gē qiū gē |
長安一片月， | 长安一片月， | Cháng ān yī piàn yuè, |
萬戶擣衣聲； | 万户捣衣声; | Wàn hù dǎo yī shēng; |
秋風吹不盡， | 秋风吹不尽， | Qiū fēng chuī bù jìn, |
總是玉關情。 | 总是玉关情。 | Zǒng shì yù guān qíng. |
何日平胡虜？ | 何日平胡虏？ | Hé rì píng hú lǔ? |
良人罷遠征。 | 良人罢远征。 | Liáng rén bà yuǎn zhēng. |
Literal Translation
李白 | Plum White=Li Bai (701-762) |
子夜四時歌秋歌 | Midnight night four season song, autumn song [Midnight night = midnight] |
長安一片月， | Long safe one piece moon [Long safe= Chang’an, the old name for Xi’an, Shannxi Province] |
萬戶擣衣聲； | Ten-thousand household pound clothes sound [pound clothes = an old way to wash clothes by pounding with mallet] |
秋風吹不盡， | Autumn wind blow not end/use-up |
總是玉關情。 | Always is jade mountain-pass feeling/emotion [jade mountain-pass= the vital passage to Turkestan in the history. It was near Dunhuang, Gansu Province.] |
何日平胡虜？ | Which day peaceful/calm beard enemy [beard enemy= the northern tribe, who used to invade China from time to time through the dynasties] |
良人罷遠征。 | Good people finish/cease faraway expedition |
[Good people = those women’s husbands] | |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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