Translation and annotation of Song of Everlasting Sorrow
Translation
Tang Minghuang liked beautiful women. After becoming the emperor, he has been looking for beautiful women for many years, but he has found nothing.
The Yang family has a daughter who has just grown up. She is very beautiful. She is raised in a boudoir. Outsiders do not know her beauty.
Being naturally beautiful and charming, it was difficult for her to be buried in the world. As expected, it didn’t take long for her to become a concubine beside Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty.
She turned around and smiled, looking so charming and charming; all the concubines in the Sixth Palace were eclipsed.
When the spring was cold and cold, the emperor gave her a bath in Huaqing Pool. The warm spring water washed her skin like gelatin.
The maid supported her, and Pingting was as weak as a hibiscus emerging from the water, and she began to gain favor from the emperor.
The hair on the temples is like clouds, the face is like flowers, and he wears a golden walking stick on his head. Spend the spring night with the emperor in the warm hibiscus tent.
The deep love only hates the short spring night, sleeping until the sun rises high. The king was deeply in love with his children and his gentle country, and never went to court again.
I am too busy to accept your pleasure and serve you to drink. In the spring, he traveled with the emperor, and in the evening, he slept with him every night.
There were far more than three thousand concubines in the harem, but she was the only one who received the emperor's favor.
I dress up in the golden house and act like a coquettish king every night; I drink and feast in the jade tower, and my drunkenness adds a bit of charm.
My brothers and sisters were all honored with titles because of her, and the Yang family’s lintel was so glorious that it was enviable.
As a result, parents all over the world changed their minds and favored daughters over sons.
The Yuyu Qiong Tower in Huaqing Palace on Lishan Mountain towers into the clouds, and fairy music floats in all directions when the breeze passes.
The singing and dancing are often in time, and the orchestral melody is vivid. The king watches it all day long, but never tires of it.
The war drums of the Yuyang rebellion were deafening, and the music of colorful clothes and feathers stopped playing in the palace.
The Jiuzhong Palace was suddenly filled with dust, and the king fled to the southwest with a large number of ministers, servants and beautiful family members.
The convoy stopped and went, only a hundred miles west of Chang'an.
The Sixth Army stagnated and demanded the death of Yang Yuhuan. The king had no choice but to hang Yang Yuhuan at the foot of Mawei slope.
The ornaments on the imperial concubine’s head were scattered all over the floor and no one took them away. The emerald green gorse scratches his head, and the precious headdress is one by one.
The king couldn't help but covered his face and cried. Looking back at the scene of the tragic death of the imperial concubine, tears of blood could not stop flowing.
The bleak autumn wind swept away the fallen leaves, the loess dust had disappeared, and the convoy walked through the plank road with twists and turns, and the motorcade set foot on the ancient Jiange Road.
There are very few people walking down Mount Emei, the flags are colorless, and the sun and moon have no light.
The beautiful mountains and clear waters of Sichuan aroused the lovesickness of the king. Looking at the moon in the palace is full of sadness, and listening to the music on a rainy night makes my voice sad.
After the rebellion subsided, the king returned to Chang'an and passed by Maweipo. He hesitated after seeing the things and missing people.
Under the lush Mawei slope, in the desolate yellow tomb, the beauty’s face is no longer seen, only the tomb lies in the mountain.
The emperor and his ministers look at each other, their clothes are wet with tears, they look eastward at Kyoto and their hearts are sad, and their horses are released from the reins and return to the court.
Looking back, the pond remains the same, the hibiscus beside Taiye Pond is still there, and the weeping willows in Weiyang Palace remain unchanged.
The hibiscus blooms like a jade ring's face, and the willow leaves resemble her eyebrows. How can you not feel sad at this scene?
The spring breeze blows open the peach and plum blossoms, and things change and people change. It is extremely sad; the autumn rain drops on the sycamore leaves, making the scene even more lonely and miserable.
Xingqing Palace and Ganlu Palace are in depression and overgrown with autumn grass. The steps in the palace were covered with fallen leaves, and no one had been sweeping them for a long time.
The actor's head has turned white, and the palace maid's beauty has faded. At night, fireflies were flying in the palace, and even though the lamp was exhausted, the king still couldn't sleep.
The more I count the sounds of bells and drums, the longer I feel the night becomes. Look at the stars and the sky in the distance, until the dawn shines in the east.
The frost flowers on the mandarin duck tiles are reborn, who sleeps with the king in the cold emerald quilt?
A year has passed between Yin and Yang, why have you never come to me in my dream?
A Linqiong Taoist priest is visiting Chang'an. It is said that he can summon the soul of a noble concubine with his magic.
He was moved by the king's longing for his concubine. He accepted the emperor's order, did not dare to neglect, searched diligently, and braved the wind from all directions.
Riding the clouds into the sky, moving horizontally and straight like lightning, ascending to the sky and entering the earth, searching for heaven and earth, but to no avail.
Suddenly I heard that there was a fairy mountain surrounded by white clouds on the sea.
The exquisitely carved pavilions are supported by colorful auspicious clouds. There are countless gods and goddesses, each of them graceful and graceful.
One of them has a Chinese character called Tai Zhen, and her skin is like snow and looks like a flower. She seems to be the concubine Yang Guifei the king is looking for.
The Taoist priest came to the west of Jinque, knocked on the jade courtyard door and called softly, asking Xiaoyu to call the maid Shuangcheng to report.
When Taizhen heard that the king’s envoy had arrived, he got up from his tent in surprise. Putting on clothes, he pushed aside the pillow and left the sleeping tent. Open the screen one by one and put down the bead curtain.
Having just woken up from her sleep with her hair half combed, she walked out of the altar before she had time to dress up, with her flower crown crookedly on her head.
The gentle fairy wind blows and the sleeves flutter slightly, just like the dancing posture of colorful feathers, curling and tingling. Lonely
Lonely and sad face, with tears flowing down her face, like pear blossoms with rain in spring.
Looking lovingly at the emperor’s emissary, he asked him to express his deep gratitude to the king. After a long farewell on Mawei slope, the news and appearance were unclear.
The marriage in Zhaoyang Palace has been broken off for a long time, and the loneliness in Penglai Palace is still very long.
Looking back at the world, Chang'an has disappeared, leaving only dust and mist.
I can only express my deep feelings with the tokens from back then. You can bring the mother-of-pearl box and gold hairpin as a souvenir to the king.
The gold hairpin leaves one part, and the mother-in-law box leaves half of it. The gold hairpin splits the gold, and the mother-in-law box divides the treasure.
I hope our loving hearts are as loyal and strong as golden treasures, and we will always have the chance to meet again in heaven and on earth.
In parting, I asked the alchemist diligently to express my thoughts and feelings to the king, and the oath in his words was known only to the king and me.
On July 7 of that year, in the stillness of the night in the Palace of Eternal Life, we made an oath of eternal love.
In the sky, I wish to be like two birds flying together, and on the ground, I wish to be like branches growing side by side.
Even if it lasts forever, there will always be an end, but the hatred of life and death will never end.
Notes
(1) Hanhuang: Originally refers to Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. This refers to Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The literary creations of Tang people often refer to Han as Tang.
(2) Heavy color: like women. Alluring: Stunning woman. Li Yannian of the Han Dynasty sang a song to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "There is a beautiful woman in the north, peerless and independent. Once you look at the Qingren city, then look at the Qingren country. It is better not to know the Qingguo and the Qingren country. It is hard to find a beautiful woman again." Later, "Qingguo" "Qingcheng" has become a synonym for beauty.
(3) Yuyu: To control the inner world is to rule the world. Han Jiayi's "On Passing the Qin Dynasty": "Strengthen the strategy and control the inner world"
(4) The Yang family has daughters: Yang Xuanyan, the Sihu of Shuzhou, has a daughter, Yang Yuhuan, who was raised by her uncle Yang Xuangui since she was a child. At the age of 23 (the 23rd year of Kaiyuan), she was canonized as the concubine of Xuanzong's son, King Shou Li Mao. At the age of twenty-seven, she was canonized as a noble concubine by Xuanzong. Bai Juyi's statement that "I was raised in a boudoir and not known to anyone" is a statement that the author deliberately made to avoid taboos for the emperor.
(5) Beauty: Beautiful appearance.
(6) Sixth Palace Fendai: refers to all the concubines in the palace. In ancient times, emperors had six palaces, one was the Zhengben (the place where daily government affairs were handled), and the other was the Yanqin (the place for resting). They were collectively called the Sixth Palace. Fendai: Fendai is originally a cosmetic product for women. It is used to apply powder on the face and to draw eyebrows. This generation refers to women in the sixth house. Colorless: It means that in comparison, everything has lost its beautiful appearance.
(7) Huaqing Hot Spring: Huaqing Hot Spring is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain in the south of Lintong District, Xi'an City. Tangquan Palace was built in the 18th year of Tang Zhenguan (644), renamed Hot Spring Palace in the second year of Xianheng (671), and renamed Huaqing Palace after expansion in the sixth year of Tianbao (747). Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty lived here every winter and spring.
(8) Condensed fat: Describes the skin as white, tender and moist, like solidified fat. "The Book of Songs·Wei Feng·Shuo Ren" says "skin is like gelatin".
(9) Waiter: palace maid.
(10) Xincheng Enze: Just got the emperor's favor.
(11) Clouds on the temples: "Mulan Poems": "When the window is trimming the clouds on the temples, the mirror is yellow with decals." Describes a woman's hair as beautiful as clouds. Jinbuyao: a kind of gold jewelry, made of gold and silver wire coiled into the shape of a flower, decorated with hanging beads and the like, inserted in the hair and swaying when walking.
(12) Hibiscus tent: A tent embroidered with lotus flowers. Describe the exquisiteness of the account. Xiao Gang's "Xie Hui's Thirteen Conjoined Rhymes": Bead rope emerald curtains, and silk curtains of hibiscus.
(13) Chunxiao: wedding night.
(14) Three thousand beauties: "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Queen's Chronicle": Since Wuyuan, the cost of prostitution has increased, even to three thousand in Yeting. There are so many women in the harem. According to the "Old Tang Book·Eunuch Biography" and other records, during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao years, there were three palaces in Chang'an: Damei, Daming, and Xingqing, the prince's ten residences, the emperor's grandson's hundred and sun courtyards, and the two palaces in the eastern capital, Da Nei and Shangyang. There are 40,000 maids.
(15) Golden House: "The Story of Han Wu" records that when Emperor Wu was young, his aunt held him on her knees and asked him if he wanted her daughter Gillian to be his wife. He smiled and replied: "If you get Gillian, you should hide it in a golden house."
(16) Lietu: enfeoff the land. According to records such as "Old Tang Book: Biography of Concubines", Concubine Yang had three sisters, and Xuanzong also gave her the title of Lady of the State. Auntie Changri, granted the title of Mrs. Korea. The third aunt was granted the title of Mrs. Guo Guo. Eighth aunt, named Mrs. Qin. Xuan Yan, the concubine's father, gave many gifts to the Taiwei and the Duke of Qi. His mother was granted the title of Mrs. Liangguo. Uncle Xuangui is Guangluqing. Then he followed his brother and became Hongluqing. Qi, the imperial censor, Princess Taihua, the daughter of the concubine Hui of Wu. From his ancestral brother Guozhong, he became the right prime minister. Sister, sister.
(17) Poor: cute and worthy of envy.
(18) Non-rebirth of men and rebirth of women: Chen Hong's "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" states that at that time, folk songs included "Don't be sad when you have a girl, don't like a boy", "A man doesn't make his daughter a concubine, but he cares about her." For the lintel on the door" and so on.
(19) Li Palace: Huaqing Palace in Lishan Mountain. Lishan is located in Lintong, Shaanxi Province today.
(20) Ningsi Bamboo: Finger string instruments and wind instruments accompany the soothing melody.
(21) Yuyang: The name of the county, which governs Pinggu County in present-day Beijing and Ji County in Tianjin. At that time, it was under the jurisdiction of Anlu Mountain, the Jiedushi County of Pinglu, Fanyang and Hedong towns. In the winter of the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), An Lushan rebelled in Fan Yang. Drum: a small drum used by ancient cavalry, which refers to war.
(22) Ni (ní) Shang Feather Clothes Song: The name of the dance is said to have been presented by Yang Jingshu, the governor of Xiliang during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. After Tang Xuanzong polished it and produced the lyrics, it was changed to this name
Name. The music is intended to express the ethereal wonderland and images of fairies.
(23) Jiuzhongchengque: The capital of Jiuzhongmen, this refers to Chang'an. Smoke and dust: refers to the occurrence of war. Que, means the buildings on both sides of the ancient palace gate, generally referring to the palace or the residence of the emperor. "Chu Ci·Nine Bian": The king's gate is divided into nine levels.
(24) Thousands of thousands of horses traveling southwest: In June of Tianbao's fifteenth year (756), Anlu Mountain broke through Tongguan and approached Chang'an. Xuanzong led Yang Guifei and others to escape from Yanqiu Gate to the southwest. There were not many escorts accompanying him at that time, and "thousands of cavalry" is an exaggeration. Ride: One person and one rider constitute a ride.
(25) Two sentences from Cuihua: Li Longji rushed west to Maweiyi (today's Xingping, Shaanxi Province), which was more than a hundred miles away from Chang'an. He followed the imperial guards to attack and stopped moving forward. Please kill Yang Guozhong and Yang Guozhong. Yuhuan brother and sister complained about the common people. In order to protect himself, Xuanzong had no choice but to comply.
Cuihua: A flag decorated with kingfisher feathers, used by the emperor's honor guard. Sima Xiangru's "Ode to Shanglin": Build the flag of green flowers and the drum of tree spirits. More than a hundred miles: refers to Maweipo, which is more than a hundred miles away from Chang'an.
(26) Sixth Army: Refers to the emperor’s army. "Zhou Li·Xia Guan·Sima": Wang Liujun. According to the old and new "Tangshu·Xuanzong Ji" and "Zizhi Tongjian" and other records: In June of the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), Ge Shuhan arrived at Tongguan, set fire to his tent, pulled out the fire in Guiren, and descended to Anlu Mountain. If Tongguan is not defended, the capital will be greatly frightened. Xuanzong wanted to help Shu, so he issued an edict to conquer Shu personally. After the battle was over, the scholars and common people were frightened.
(27) Wanhuan: describes the sad and lingering look of a beautiful woman before her death. Mo Mei: The ancient name for beautiful women, this refers to Yang Guifei. "The Book of Songs·Wei Feng·Shuo Ren": There is a moth on the head and eyebrows.
(28) Flower-shaped jewelry: flower-shaped jewelry made of gold and jade jewelry. To the ground: discarded on the ground.
(29) Cuiqiao: jewelry, shaped like the tail of an emerald bird. Jinque: Jinque hairpin, the hairpin looks like a phoenix (called Zhuque in ancient times). Jade scratching the head: jade hosta. Volume 2 of "Miscellaneous Notes of Xijing": When Emperor Wu passed by Mrs. Li, he took a jade hairpin and scratched her head. From then on, people in the imperial court used jade to scratch their heads.
(30)Yunzhan: A plank road that reaches into the sky. Yíngyū: lingering around. Jiange: Also known as Jianmen Pass, it is located in the north of Jiange County in today's Sichuan Province and is the main road from Qin to Shu.
The mountains here are like swords, and where the cliff breaks, the two mountains face each other like a door. When Zhuge Liang came to Shu, he carved a stone plank road to pass through.
(31) Emeishan: In today’s Emeishan City, Sichuan. On his way to Shu, Xuanzong did not pass through Mount Emei, which generally refers to the high mountains in central Sichuan.
(32) Palace: the temporary residence of the emperor when he leaves Beijing and travels.
(33) Hearing bells in the rain at night: "The Ming Emperor's Miscellaneous Records Supplement": "The Ming Emperor was lucky enough to be in Shu and traveled southwest. When he first entered the Xie Valley, the rain fell for ten days, and he heard it in the rain on the plank road
The sound of the bell corresponds to the mountain. In order to commemorate the imperial concubine, the song was chosen as the "Yulin Bell Song" to express regret. Later "Yulin Ling" became the name of Song Ci poetry.
(34) The world is spinning: refers to the improvement of the situation. In the second year of Emperor Suzong's reign (757), Guo Ziyi's army regained Chang'an. Huilongyu: The emperor's chariot returns.
(35) The place where Yu Yankong died was not seen: According to the "Old Tang Book: Biography of the Concubine", Xuanzong returned from Shu, ordered the envoy to pay homage to Concubine Yang, and secretly ordered her to be buried elsewhere. When he first contracted the disease, he wrapped it in a purple mattress. The skin was broken, but the sachet was still there. The internal officials presented it to him. The emperor looked at it with sadness and ordered a picture of it to be placed in a separate hall, where he could look at it day and night.
(36) Xinma: It means whipping the horse without intention and letting the horse move forward.
(37) Taiye: There is a Taiye Pool in the Han Palace. Weiyang: The Han Dynasty had Weiyang Palace. These all refer to the Chang'an Imperial Palace of the Tang Dynasty.
(38) West Palace Nanyuan: The inside of the palace is called Ouchi. The West Palace is the Taiji Palace in the west, and the Xingqing Palace in the south. After Xuanzong returned to Beijing, he first lived in Nannei. In the first year of Shangyuan (760), the powerful eunuch Li Fuguo used the name of Suzong to force Xuanzong to move to the west and exiled Xuanzong's close associates Gao Lishi, Chen Xuanli and others.
(39) Liyuan disciples: refers to the musicians and dancers trained by Xuanzong. Liyuan: According to the "New Book of Tang Dynasty: Liyue Zhi": the music teaching institution in the palace during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty once selected three hundred "Zubu Ji" to teach singing and dancing, and they could perform at any time according to the imperial orders. They were known as the "Emperor's Liyuan Disciples".
(40) Jiao Fang: The place where the concubine lived, so called because the walls were plastered with pepper and mud. Ajian: A female attendant in the palace. Qing'e: young palace maid. According to "New Book of Tang·Hundred Officials", there are Ajian and Deputy Jian in the Neiguan Palace, who are considered to be in the seventh grade.
(41) Pick up all the lamps: In ancient times, oil lamps were used for lighting. In order to make the lights brighter, after a while, the lamps soaked in oil would be picked forward a little. Picking them all means it’s late at night. According to the legend, in the Tang Dynasty, candles were kept burning at night instead of oil lamps. This is intended to describe the miserable living environment of Xuanzong in his later years.
(42) Chichi: Slow. The sound of the clock bells and drums starts and ends at the original time. This is used to describe Xuanzong's mood when he had a long night of sleeplessness.
(43) Geng Geng: The appearance of twilight. Desire for Dawn: When the long night is about to dawn.
(44) Yuanyang tiles: tiles on the roof that are pitched together in opposite directions. "Three Kingdoms·Book of Wei·Biography of Fang Ji" records: Emperor Wen of the Wen Dynasty dreamed that two tiles of the palace house fell to the ground and turned into two mandarin ducks. The roof tiles are aligned with each other, so they are called Yin and Yang tiles, also known as Yuanyang tiles. Shuanghua: frost flower.
(45) Jade Quilt: A quilt with an emerald bird embroidered on the cloth. "The Songs of Chu·Calling Souls": Jade beads and quilts are better when they are rotten. Say it's precious. Who is *** with: Who is *** with.
(46) Linqiong Taoist Hongdu Ke: It means that there is a Taoist priest who came to Chang'an from Linqiong. Linqiong: present-day Qionglai County, Sichuan. Hongdu: The name of the palace gate of Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, here refers to Chang'an. "Book of the Later Han: Chronicles of Emperor Ling": In February of the first year of Guanghe, the bachelor of Hongdu Gate was established.
(47) To the soul: To attract the soul of Concubine Yang.
(48) Alchemist: A person with magic. This refers to Taoist priests. Diligent: try your best.
(49) Empty and control the Qi: that is, soar into the clouds and control the mist.
(50) Poor: exhausted, searched all over. Biluo: the sky. Huangquan: refers to the underground.
(51) Fairy Mountains on the Sea: "Historical Records: Book of Fengchan": Ziwei, Xuan, and Yanzhao made people flock to seek Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. These three sacred mountains were spread in the Bohai Sea.
(52) Linglong: Gorgeous and exquisite.
Wuyun: colorful clouds.
(53) Charming: light and soft body. "Zhuangzi Xiaoyaoyou": On the mountain of Miaogushe, there is a god and man living there, with skin like ice and snow, and as graceful as a virgin.
(54) Different: as if, almost.
(55) Jinque: Volume 66 of "Taiping Yulan". Quote from the "Dadong Jade Sutra": There are two palace gates in the Shangqing Palace, the golden palace on the left and the jade palace on the right. West Chamber: "Erya·Shi Palace": There are sun temples in the east and west chambers. The west wing is on the right. Jade (jiong): Jade Gate. That is, the Bianwen of Yuque.
(56) Converting a small jade to another religion will bring double success: It means that there are many courtyards in the Immortal Mansion, and they must be reported through many twists and turns. Xiaoyu: The daughter of King Wu’s husband. Shuangcheng: the maid of the Queen Mother of the West in the legend. Here they all refer to Yang Guifei's maid in Fairy Mountain.
(57) Jiuhua tent: a tent with gorgeous embroidery. Jiuhua: A pattern with heavy floral decorations. The words are exquisite. "Book of the Song Dynasty: Biography of the Concubine": From the Han family's Zhaoyang's wheel, the Wei family's Jiuhua shines.
(58) Bead foil: bead curtain. Silver Screen: A screen decorated with silver. Winding: continuously.
(59) New sleep: Just woke up. Wake up, wake up.
(60)墂(mèi): Sleeves.
(61) Lonely Jade Face: This finger has a gloomy and sad expression. Linqian: criss-crossed. It is described here that the face is full of tears.
(62) Gaze (dì): Gaze.
(63) Zhaoyang Palace: the bedroom of Zhao Feiyan, the favorite concubine of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty. This refers to the palace where Concubine Yang lived.
(64) Penglai Palace: the legendary fairy mountain on the sea. This refers to the imperial concubine’s residence in Fairy Mountain.
(65) Renhuan (huán): the human world.
(66) Old things: refers to tokens of love with Xuanzong during his lifetime.
(67) Send it to the future: ask the Taoist priest to bring it back.