易水诀 Farewell by Yi River - Story Behind the Song

These are historical events detailed in "Records of the Grand Historian", under "Assassins' Chronicles" (《史记·刺客列传》).

***

Jing Ke lived in the kingdom of Yan during the warring period of China. He was a capable man, well-read and skilled with the sword, earning his share of reputation among the elites.

During his stay in Yan, he crossed path with a musician who played the “Zhu” (an ancient stringed instrument, similar to a zither, struck with a stick) exceptionally well. His name was Gao Jian Li. They became fast friends. The pair often walked through the streets drunk, with Gao striking his Zhu, while Jing Ke singing and clapping to the musical beats. They laughed and cried together, completely absorbed in their pursuit, mindless of the looks from the crowd.

But those were tumultuous times, where kingdoms fought bloody wars for dominance over the central plains. To the west, there’s the rapidly expanding power, the kingdom of Qin. The monarch Ying Zheng seated on its throne will later be known as Qin Shi Huang Di, the first emperor to unite China.

Ying Zheng’s army crushed neighbouring kingdoms with terrifying force and speed, devouring the north like a silkworm would a mulberry leaf. Prince Dan of Yan, fearful of the threat that encroached on his kingdom, sought council with wise men of the kingdom. Jing Ke was then introduced to the prince.

It was decided that Jing Ke shall be sent as an emissary to the king of Qin to negotiate peace by surrendering Yan cities…... in name, that is. Within the scroll of map that he would unroll in the king's vicinity concealed a poisoned dagger.

On the day of Jing Ke’s departure, Prince Dan and Gao Jian Li bade farewell for Jing Ke by Yi river. All dressed in sombre white. All knew, whether his mission succeeded or failed, this wasn’t one he could return from.

As Jing Ke made his way to his carriage, Gao Jian Li started playing his Zhu. Jing Ke clapped with each beat, and sang with a wistful tune. He ended the song with a striking “Shrill winds rise, waters cold; the hero shall go and never come home!” And left without once looking back.

Alas, the mission failed. Ying Zheng survived. Jing Ke died. Five years later, the kingdom of Yan fell to Qin.

Gao Jian Li, known for his talent for the Zhu, was brought to Ying Zheng. Wary of the musician because of his connections to Jing Ke, the king ordered him blinded, thinking it would nullify his threat. Jian Li was then granted the position of court musician. He played spectacularly every time, earning the king’s trust. Just as the king was completely captivated by his performance, he smashed his lead-filled Zhu towards the king. His efforts were in vain, and the king had him killed. Thus, by his relentless wish to avenge his friend, Gao Jian Li too perished.

[English translation] 易水诀 - Farewell by Yi River

总策划//Main producer：木宁木蒙 (Mu Ning Mu Meng)
企划运营//Project manager：塔库 (Ta Ku)
监制//Supervisor：落落无尘、卿雅、小仙、克迪奥洛夫斯基 (Luo Luo Wu Chen, Qin Ya, Xiao Xian, Ke Di Ao Luo Fu Si Ji <something-something-ovsky... I have no idea>)
作曲// Music：银临 (Yin Lin)
编曲//Arrangement：灰原穷 (Hui Yuan Qiong)
作词//Lyrics：慕清明 (Mu Qing Ming)
视频：溺水金鱼【麻薯映像】(Drowned goldfish / Ni Shui Jing Yu [Mochi pictures])
曲绘：花开之所 (Hua Kai Zhi Suo)


[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]

Shrill winds rise, waters cold; the hero shall go and never come home.

***

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　风萧萧兮易水寒
[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　炽烈肝胆

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　壮士一去不复还

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　心决然

Shrill winds rise, waters cold

Fiery passions in his guts

The hero shall go and never come home

His heart is set

风萧萧兮易水寒

壮士一去不复还

阵云昏  逝水黯

怕触目霜雪衣冠

清肃容颜  炽烈肝胆

心决然

Shrill winds rise, waters cold

The hero shall go and never come home

Storm clouds dim, currents dark

I dread seeing him clothed in stark white garbs

His visage solemn, and fiery passions in his guts

His heart is set

风萧萧兮易水寒
壮士一去不复还
陈年酒  尚余半
添入往事尝浓淡
敬你我俱能从容踏狂澜

Shrill winds rise, waters cold
The hero shall go and never come home
Still with half our aged wine left
Adding flavors to our past
A toast to us both, for our grace in traversing wild storms


最怕是独活  最狠是回忆
当年燕市击筑扬歌在耳际
倾十分孤勇  步无归命局
明朝少年邀同醉　白头人间何处你

I fear most to survive alone, I’m pained most by our memories
Zither music in the town streets from past years echoed still in our ears
You gave all your courage, and stepped into this ill-fated scheme

When invited for a drink on the morrow, where could you be?

浮生旧事多不值一提

除却曾得知音你

浩然江海与苍茫天地　都将替我铭记

Most of the past don’t deserve to be mentioned

Except the fact I’ve met my soulmate, you

Rivers and open seas, endless breadth of heaven and earth, shall remember for me

光阴坦荡若飞鸿雪泥

采撷传说里的相遇别离

珍藏在西风古道清明雨

Time is frank with its transcience and brevity

Picking out the meetings and partings in legends

And cherished them within west winds through ancient streets, and rains on remembrance day

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　风萧萧兮易水寒

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　炽烈肝胆

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　壮士一去不复还

[风萧兮易水寒　壮士去不复还]　心决然

Shrill winds rise, waters cold

Fiery passions in his guts

The hero shall go and never come home

His heart is set

风萧萧兮易水寒
壮士一去不复还
仓促梦  狼藉盏
梦里朗笑归远帆
共睹你舍身相护的河山

Shrill winds rise, waters cold
The hero shall go and never come home
What a hurried dream, in the midst of scattered cups
In that dream came your clear laughter from a returning voyage
Together we witnessed the lands you defended with your life

故友长别离  故国成追忆

当年燕市击筑扬歌在耳际
倾十分孤勇  步无归命局
明朝少年邀同醉　白头人间何处你

Old friends separated, old kingdom turned memories

Zither music in the town streets from past years echoed still in our ears

You gave all your courage, and stepped into this ill-fated scheme

When invited for a drink on the morrow, where could you be?

浮生旧事多不值一提

除却曾得知音你

浩然江海与苍茫天地　都将替我铭记

Most of the past don’t deserve to be mentioned

Except the fact I’ve met my soulmate, you

Rivers and open seas, endless breadth of heaven and earth, shall remember for me

光阴坦荡若飞鸿雪泥

采撷传说里的相遇别离

珍藏在西风古道清明雨

Time is frank with its transcience and brevity

Picking out the meetings and partings in legends

And cherished them within west winds through ancient streets, and rains on remembrance day

烽烟乱世中怀抱勇气

慨然孤注手中棋

放浪形骸的江湖岁月

滚烫一点一滴

We embrace courage within this chaotic, war-torn world

And handsomely threw in our bets

Our carefree wandering days

Turned into scalding drops and drips

原来生死之交这命题

是毋庸许什么豪言誓语

就并辔奔赴下一世风雨

So it was realized, the thing with sworn friends for life and death

Is the needlessness of passionate words and vows

But just riding side by side towards the storms of our next lives

***

Translator’s note:

• Qing Ming, or Tomb Sweeping Day, is as its name describes. It’s a day of remembrance for those who have passed. Both "西风古道" and "清明雨" reference other ancient poems with somber themes (though these date much later than the famous line starred in this song).

• “风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去不复还。” This phrase is from the Song of Yi River. A more literal translation would be “The winds are shrill, Yi waters cold; the hero goes and never returns.” I modified it for the sake of rhyme and smoother cadences. I'll post the story separately here so this one doesn't get too long. 

I think a lot of the charm of this song is knowing the heartbreaking story behind it. It is an actual historical event detailed in the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), involving the very famous (or infamous) Qin Shi Huang Di, the emperor who united China and ordered the production of those terracotta armies we see today. 

(And can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous the video is. I absolutely love it.)


EDIT: Changed "rains during Qing Ming" to "rains on remembrance day", because alliterations are fun. 

EDIT (7/12/2020): Shout out to Youtube user juann in the comments, and all who helped put up/approve the annotations in the official Sanwu music video. Thanks very much! I just recently realized it's up there and it really made my day. You guys are awesome! Cheers!

[English translation] 洛阳夜雨 - Rainy nights in Luoyang

作词/文案/美工// Lyrics/Story/Art：梁阿渣 (Liang A Zha)

作曲/编曲//Music & arrangement：Winky诗 (Winky Shi)

演唱//Vocal：HITA

和声//Harmonics：Braska

混音/母帶//Mix/Master tape：安迪 (An Di)

题字//Calligraphy：零雨其蒙蒙 (Ling Yu Qi Meng Meng)

说来应数洛阳夜雨 惹得人唏嘘

荒草浅滩寒鸦嘶啼 洛阳孤城闭

别后 时而梦中起 挑灯听淅沥

洗落池中青青浮萍 沉浮不由己

Of all lamentable matters, do consider the rainy nights in Luoyang

By sparse reeds and shallow banks the crows screeched, that lonely city of Luoyang closed to the world

Since our parting, I sometimes wake from my dreams, and with a lantern lit, listen to the pattering rain

Wash into the pond of duckweeds, bobbing haplessly in the waters not by their own will

该笑我 宿命在烽烟里愈渐清晰

乱世中 逃不出征轮轧过的轨迹

How laughable, that my fate should come clearer in signalling smokes

In times of chaos, one cannot escape the tracks of warring chariots

我伸手抚你眉上寒霜 无言空相觑

暗火下掌心 错乱纹理

何必论万千俗人口舌 抛冷眼几记

我只贪求你 承认一句

我转手云雨 只为了你

I reached out and brushed the frost over your brows, while we stared at each other wordlessly

Under dim lights, the lines of your palm criss-crossed haphazardly

Why bother with gossips of the vulgar masses, and the many cold glances they throw

I plead you only to acknowledge one thing

That I stir up winds and rains, solely for your sake

有一年春海棠得意 廊前有愁绪

紫陌之上绵延天际 落三千花雨

料得 最怕旧回忆 只剩你身影

沸反盈天刹那平息 屈下了双膝

Spring one year when the begonia flowers were especially charming, by the corridor resided someone’s melancholy

Over violet fields the endless sky stretched, raining down petals in thousands

I guess what I fear most, is your figure alone, abandoned in my memories

The cacophony of people suddenly hushed, and you went on your knees

该笑我 宿命在烽烟里愈渐清晰

乱世中 逃不出征轮轧过的轨迹

How laughable, that my fate should come clearer in signalling smokes

In times of chaos, one cannot escape the tracks of warring chariots

我伸手抚你眉上寒霜 无言空相觑

暗火下掌心 错乱纹理

何必论万千俗人口舌 抛冷眼几记

我只贪求你 承认一句

我转手云雨 只为了你

I reached out and brushed the frost over your brows, while we stared at each other wordlessly

Under dim lights, the lines of your palm criss-crossed haphazardly

Why bother with gossips of the vulgar masses, and the many cold glances they throw

I plead you only to acknowledge one thing

That I stir up winds and rains, solely for your sake

虽无幸 能够携你遍踏洛阳夜雨

亦冥顽 且用余生换得一份长情

Though not fortunate enough to walk through the rainy nights in Luoyang with you

Still, I’m stubborn enough to give the rest of my life up for this lasting love

我伸手抚你眉上寒霜 无言空相觑

暗火下掌心 错乱纹理

何必论万千俗人口舌 抛冷眼几记

我只贪求你 承认一句

I reached out and brushed the frost over your brows, while we stared at each other wordlessly

Under dim lights, the lines of your palm criss-crossed haphazardly

Why bother with gossips of the vulgar masses, and the many cold glances they throw

I plead you only to acknowledge one thing

我捻起一抹殷血描补 眼尾妆一笔

便自此流离 命如飞絮

I dabbed a touch of crimson blood to paint the wings of my eyes

Since then I turned a lost soul, the likes of flying catkins

这天下广袤也便只如 一局珍珑棋

我转手云雨 只为了你

No matter how wide this world can be, it’s but a delicate game of chess

I stir up winds and rains, solely for your sake

我魂归故里 故里是你

My soul shall return home, and home’s wherever you’ll be

***

Translator's comment:

Again, just like the other works, this is not an absolute literal translation. I take a bit of artistic liberties so to capture the emotions best I can. 

For example, "stir up winds and rains" is suppose to describe how rulers and politicians make their politicking moves with huge stakes that can affect the empire/world. 

Also, I too, find it creepy to draw one's eyeliner with blood. I like to think that the line is metaphorical, more along the, playing the political game full of treachery and bloodshed to climb to the top.