Chinese Classical Poem--0031: No Title 02 -- Telesthesia

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It is near Valentine's Day -- February 14. Along with the open of China, more and more Chinese people celebrate Valentine's Day. Red rose is very expensive on the day and chocolate is most welcomed, too. :-)

Many people think of Chinese nation is very closed one. In fact, China has been having many literature and art works to express love and the lovers since very ancient times as I have showed you in the first peom in Shi Jing --the oldest Chinese Poetry Collection Guan Ju --The Songs of Ospreies'.:-) So, I feel that as the other nations, love is an everlasting theme of Chinese literature, art and music... :-) Anyway, it is impossible to talk this topic freely from 1966 to 1976 in the China's Culture Revolution. Love was thought a dirty topic at that times. :-) Anyway, the tragedy times has past for a long time. People can talk this topic freely now.

So, today, I would like to introduce a Chinese classical poem by Tang Dynasty (618 -907) poet Li Shangyin (813 - 858)Wu Ti -- No Title.

We have learned Another "No Title" by Li Shangyin as well, you can review it via the link I have done for you. :-)

This is a very famous poem for its two lines -- Shen wu cai feng shuang fei yi, xin you ling xi yi dian tong, that means for the real lovers, even though they are in the diffetent far away places, they have no a pair wings to fly together as the beautiful phoenixes, their hearts are connecting together as a same unicorn's horn and to beat togetehr. To, I give this poem an English name Telesthesia and hope you enjoy it...:-

There are 8 lines in this poem, I just explain the first 4 lines that are most famous for you. :-)

This is a poem that it is worth to create a piece of music for it, so. I will write it for you later... :-)

MAIN MEANING OF THE PEOM:

The stars last night,
the breeze last night,
We met in the west of the painted building,
we walked in the east of the hall
in the sweet smell of osmanthus...
We have no a pair of wings as a beautiful phoenix,
our hearts are connecting as a unicorn's horn,
we can feel the other's from far away places at the same time...

Attaching:

TO ONE UNNAMED
Translation by Hubei Education College
     
The stars of last night
and the wind of last night,
Are west of the Painted Chamber
and east of Cinnamon Hall.
Though I have for my body no wings
like those of the bright- coloured phoenix,
Yet I feel the harmonious heart-beat
of the Sacred Unicorn.

Across the spring-wine,
while it warms me,
I prompt you how to bet
Where,
group by group,
we are throwing dice in the light of a crimson lamp;
Till the rolling of a drum,
alas,
calls me to my duties
And I mount my horse and ride away,
like a water-plant cut adrift.

NEW WORDS:

You are welcomed to hit any Chinese word that you need to help to see its Chinese pinyin, meaning, pronunciation and follow me to read it.

CHINESE CHARACTER AND PRONUNICATION:

昨夜星辰昨夜风 -- zuóyè xīngchén zuóyè fēng，
画楼西畔桂堂东 -- huàlóu xīpàn guìtáng dōng。
身无彩凤双飞翼 -- shēn wú cǎi fèng shuāng fēi yì，
心有灵犀一点通 -- xīn yǒu língxī yī diǎn tōng。

隔座送钩春酒暖皇-- ge zhuo song gou chun jiu nuan，
分曹射覆蜡灯红 -- fen cao she fu la deng hong。
嗟余听鼓应官去 -- jie yu ting gu yin guan qu，
走马兰台类转蓬 -- zou ma lan tai lei zhuan peng。

That is all for this poem. Hope you enjoy it. :-)

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn , or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcomed.


--Shirley
Written, Edited and Recorded on Sun, Feb 12, 2006