Mountain Goddess | PoetryNook

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Fri, 2013-03-15 12:00

Link to a Chinese reading (warning: the video contains nude images)
Link to a Chinese dance inspired by the poem

Qu Yuan (343-278 B.C)

Someone is there, within the mountain space,

Between the shrubs and lichee, holding turnips in embrace.

I treasure her smile, this sweet and graceful girl;

She rides a red leopard, and follows a gentle fox.

In a cart of covered magnolias, tied in cassia bow,

She gathers wild ginger, among the orchids and stones.

Stopped, in fragrance enlaced, she says:

“My place is a bamboo grove, secluded beneath the sky;

It follows a treacherous road, to an ending all its own.”

By herself, a figure beneath the clouds,

It is dark and gloomy, raging both night and day;

The wind is blowing eastward, sending demonic rain.

“I cultivate my spirit here, forgetting of return;

The years pass quietly, so when will I be heard?”

She plucks three flowers, growing from a stony pile,

Entwined with kudzu vines, amid the mountain pines.

“I hate my Lord, for I cannot return;

But unable to rest, I think only of Him.”

This mountain woman, a fragrant birchleaf pear;

She drinks from a rocky spring, shaded by cypress fair.

“Does my lord think of me?” doubting thus she says,

As the thunder rolls, and a dark rain falls.

An ape wails at night, a gibbon also cries,

The wind is moaning, and the trees are sighing;

Exiled and blue, she longs for her Lord.

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation
九歌山鬼	九歌山鬼	jiǔ gē shān guǐ

若有人兮山之阿，	若有人兮山之阿，	ruò yǒu rén xī shān zhī ā ，
被薜荔兮帶女蘿。	被薜荔兮带女萝。	bèi bì lì xī dài nǚ luó 。
既含睇兮又宜笑，	既含睇兮又宜笑，	jì hán dì xī yòu yí xiào ，
子慕予兮善窈窕。	子慕予兮善窈窕。	zǐ mù yú xī shàn yǎo tiǎo 。
乘赤豹兮從文貍，	乘赤豹兮从文狸，	chéng chì bào xī cóng wén lí ，
辛夷車兮結桂旗。	辛夷车兮结桂旗。	xīn yí chē xī jié guì qí 。
被石蘭兮帶杜衡，	被石兰兮带杜衡，	bèi shí lán xī dài dù héng ，
折芳馨兮遺所思。	折芳馨兮遗所思。	zhē fāng xīn xī yí suǒ sī 。
余處幽篁兮終不見天，	余处幽篁兮终不见天，	yú chǔ yōu huáng xī zhōng bù jiàn tiān ，
路險難兮獨後來。	路险难兮独后来。	lù xiǎn nán xī dú hòu lái 。
表獨立兮山之上，	表独立兮山之上，	biǎo dú lì xī shān zhī shàng ，
雲容容兮而在下。	云容容兮而在下。	yún róng róng xī ér zài xià 。
杳冥冥兮羌晝晦，	杳冥冥兮羌昼晦，	yǎo míng míng xī qiāng zhòu huì ，
東風飄兮神靈雨。	东风飘兮神灵雨。	dōng fēng piāo xī shén líng yǔ 。
留靈修兮淡忘歸，	留灵修兮澹忘归，	liú líng xiū xī dàn wàng guī ，
歲既晏兮孰華予！	岁既晏兮孰华予！	suì jì yàn xī shú huá yú！
采三秀兮於山間，	采三秀兮于山间，	cǎi sān xiù xī yú shān jiān ，
石磊磊兮葛蔓蔓。	石磊磊兮葛蔓蔓。	shí lěi lěi xī gé wàn wàn 。
怨公子兮悵忘歸，	怨公子兮怅忘归，	yuàn gōng zǐ xī chàng wàng guī ，
君思我兮不得閑。	君思我兮不得闲。	jūn sī wǒ xī bù dé xián 。
山中人兮芳杜若，	山中人兮芳杜若，	shān zhōng rén xī fāng dù ruò ，
飲石泉兮蔭松柏。	饮石泉兮荫松柏。	yǐn shí quán xī yīn sōng bǎi 。
君思我兮然疑作，	君思我兮然疑作，	jūn sī wǒ xī rán yí zuò ，
雷填填兮雨冥冥，	雷填填兮雨冥冥，	léi tián tián xī yǔ míng míng ，
猿啾啾兮狖夜鳴。	猿啾啾兮狖夜鸣。	yuán jiū jiū xī yòu yè míng 。
風颯颯兮木蕭蕭，	风飒飒兮木萧萧，	fēng sà sà xī mù xiāo xiāo ，
思公子兮徒離憂。	思公子兮徒离忧。	sī gōng zǐ xī tú lí yōu。

Translation Notes

Written by Qu Yuan (343-278 B.C), part of his work, Nine Songs. This poem tells the story of a goddes rejected by her lover, the God of Heaven, and forced to live down on earth, in the mountains. There, she gathers vegetables and herbs for her lover forever. It can be read as symbolic of Qu Yuan being exiled by the emperor or as a simple story of unrequited love. This is part of the rites celebrating the gods in the Nine Songs of Qu Yuan.

九歌山鬼	Nine Songs Mountain Spirit

若有人兮山之阿，	Similar exists person ah mountain its also, [Exists person = someone]
被薜荔兮帶女蘿。	By evergreen-shrubs lichee ah carries/drapes-over-shoulders woman turnips/radish.
既含睇兮又宜笑，	Already cherish look-at ah and fitting smile,
子慕予兮善窈窕。	Child desire/admire I ah kind refined slender/charming. [Refined slender = sweet, fair, and graceful woman; a seductive woman]
乘赤豹兮從文貍，	Ride red leopard/panther ah following culture/gentle fox,
辛夷車兮結桂旗。	Bitter barbarian chariots ah tied cassia banner, [Bitter barbarian = a type of magnolia]
被石蘭兮帶杜衡，	By stone orchid ah carry birchleaf-pear measure, [Birchleaf-pear measure = asarum forbesii, a kind of wild ginger plant, bitter and green]
折芳馨兮遺所思。	Break-off/change-direction fragrant aromatic ah lose place think. [Place think = what one thinks]
余處幽篁兮終不見天，	My place quiet/secluded bamboo-grove ah end no see sky,
路險難兮獨後來。	Rode narrow-path/dangerous difficult ah alone behind comes. [Behind comes = afterwards; later]
表獨立兮山之上，	Manifest alone stand ah mountain ’s above, [Alone stand = independent]
雲容容兮而在下。	Clouds appearance figure ah and at below. [At below = under; myself (humble)]
杳冥冥兮羌晝晦，	Mysterious/dim dark gloomy ah Qiang daylight night,
東風飄兮神靈雨。	East wind whirlwind/float ah spirit soul rain. [Spirit soul = god]
留靈修兮淡忘歸，	Keep spirit cultivate ah weak forget return, [Weak forget = to be forgotten; to fade from memory]
歲既晏兮孰華予！	Year already peaceful/quiet ah how/what illustrious I/give!
采三秀兮於山間，	Pluck three ears-of-grain ah in mountain space,
石磊磊兮葛蔓蔓。	Stone pile-of-rocks pile-of-rocks ah kudzu vines vines. [Kudzu is a type of green, leafy plant in the pea family with a light purple flower]
怨公子兮悵忘歸，	Hate/blame/complain duke offspring ah disappointed/depressed forget return, [Duke offspring = son of nobility]
君思我兮不得閑。	Lord thinks I ah not obtain idle-time/leisure. [Not obtain = cannot; not allowed]
山中人兮芳杜若，	Mountain midst person ah fragrant birchleaf-pear similar-to, [Birchleaf-pear supposing = rabbit-ear iris, a purple flower]
飲石泉兮蔭松柏。	Drink rock spring ah shade pine cypress. [“Pine cypress” symbolizes being chaste and undefiled]
君思我兮然疑作，	Lord thinks I ah thus suspect/doubt writing/works,
雷填填兮雨冥冥，	Thunder fill-up fill-up ah rain dark gloomy,
猿啾啾兮狖夜鳴。	Ape child-cry child-wail ah gibbon night cry.
風颯颯兮木蕭蕭，	Wind sound-of-wind/whistling/rushing bleak/melancholy ah tree sighing-of-wind dejected/mournful,
思公子兮徒離憂。	Feel duke offspring ah leaves/follower exiled/departed sad/grieved.

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