Song Zhiwen wrote this poem on his travel to exile in the far south of China.
Translation
Song Zhiwen (656?-712) | 宋之問 |
A Northern Post on the Dayu Mountain Ridge | 題大庾嶺北驛 |
October— wild geese fly south | 陽月 南飛雁 |
I’ve heard they reach here, then return | 傳聞 至此回 |
My travels are different, and not yet done | 我行 殊未已 |
When is the day I shall return? | 何日 復歸來 |
The river is still and the tide begins to ebb | 江靜 潮初落 |
Woods are faint and pestilent vapors haven’t begun | 林昏 瘴不開 |
Tomorrow... I shall gaze on my native town | 明朝 望鄉處 |
But now I must look at the ridge’s blossoming plums | 應見 隴頭梅 |
Notes:
1. Like Shen Quanqi, this poet, Song Zhiwen, helped lay down the initial format of Tang regular-verse, especially in tone-matching and antithesis. It helped the poetry of the times to transition from ancient-style to Tang regular-style. The contribution of him and Shen Quanqi is the most recognized in this field.
2. Just like Shen Quanqi in the same period, his personality was that of a bootlicker and therefore classical literary scholars disdained him, but his historical position concerning metrical verses was commonly recognized.
3. Empress Wu and Emperor Zhong favored Song. However, he was exiled during the reign of Emperor Rui. This huge difference of life is the cause of the lament in this poem.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
宋之問 | 宋之问 | Sòng Zhī Wèn |
題大庾嶺北驛 | 题大庾岭北驿 | Tí dà yǔ lǐng běi yì |
陽月南飛雁， | 阳月南飞雁， | Yáng yuè nán fēi yàn, |
傳聞至此回， | 传闻至此回， | Chuán wén zhì cǐ huí, |
我行殊未已， | 我行殊未已， | Wǒ xíng shū wèi yǐ, |
何日復歸來？ | 何日复归来？ | Hé rì fù guī lái? |
江靜潮初落， | 江静潮初落， | Jiāng jìng cháo chū luò, |
林昏瘴不開。 | 林昏瘴不开。 | Lín hūn zhàng bù kāi. |
明朝望鄉處， | 明朝望乡处， | Míng zhāo wàng xiāng chù, |
應見隴頭梅。 | 应见陇头梅。 | Yīng jiàn lǒng tóu méi. |
Literal Notes
宋之問 | Song It Ask=Song Zhiwen(656?-712) |
題大庾嶺北驛 | Inscribe/title/theme/topic/to-mention/subject Da/big/vast Yu/storehouse/granary Mountain/mountain-ridge/mountain-peak north relay-station [Da Yu Mountain=a mountain in Jiangxi, which is full of plum blossoms, thus it is also called Plum Ridge. It is also mentioned in the end. The ancients believed this was the border between the South and North China.] |
陽月南飛雁， | Sun/light month/moon south(ward) flying/dart wild-goose [Sun month=the 10th month in Chinese lunar calendar, in the wintertime] |
傳聞至此回， | Rumor/summon/transmit hear/news/make-known till/arrive/reach here return/turn-around [Meaning: Though the migrating birds fly southward during the winter, this is the furthest they go.] [Rumor hear = rumor] |
我行殊未已， | My trip/travel actually/different not-yet end/finish/stop [My trip/travel= the poet was exiled to Guangxi, so he had to continue to go south after arriving Jiangxi.] |
何日復歸來？ | What/which/why day/sun once-again/repeatedly return come/returning [What day = when?], [once-again return = return/come-back] |
江靜潮初落， | River quiet/peaceful/calm/still/motionless/gentle tide just/beginning fall/drop/go-out |
林昏瘴不開。 | Forest/woods dim/twilight/faint/dusk malaria/miasma/pestilent-vapors not open/begin/start |
明朝望鄉處， | Tomorrow/bright/clear morning/in-the-future to-gaze(into the distance)/look-towards/look-forward/hope hometown/native-place/village place/area |
應見隴頭梅。 | Should/ought/must/comply-with see/behold hill/mountain beginning/head/top plum-blossom |
Notes and character table prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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