[English translation] 葬花词 - Elegy for Flowers

演唱//Vocals：黃詩扶 (Huang Shi Fu)
作曲//Composer：黃詩扶 (Huang Shi Fu)
作詞//Lyrics：南岐 (Nan Zhi)
編曲/分軌//Arrangement：Mzf小慕 (Mzf Xiao Mu)
策劃//Planning：悠羽 (You Yu)
林黛玉（崑曲）// Opera singing：邵天帥 (Shao Tian Shuai)
崑曲指導//Opera singing advisor：張鵬 (Zhang Peng)
詩詞選段//Poem excerpt：曹雪芹《紅樓夢》("Dream of the Red Chamber" by Cao Xueqin)
混音//Mixing：么嘮 (Me Lao)
製作人//Producer：左木修 (Zuo Mu Xiu)
歌曲錄音//Recording：田躍君 (Tian Yue Jun)
崑曲錄音//Recording for opera singing：BOB後權寶@行人Studio
聯合出品//In collaboration with：觀其復 (Guan Qi Fu)
出品//Produced by：萬象凡音 (Wan Xiang Fan Yin)


*****


也作風露辭寒春
往事空照夢裡人
庭階蘚生，玉樓埋沉
醉裡問愁最相襯

To be as dewy breezes bidding farewell to chill spring
The past reflects hollow on the one in dreams
Steps overgrown with lichen, jade towers buried and sunken
Sorrows go best with inebriation



憑欄人間聞秋聲
原是垂淚不歸人
消磨光景，對影庭深
夤夜倉皇辭星辰

Leaning upon the railings, listening to autumnal sounds of the mortal world
It’s but the weeping one who will never return
A grind to pass time, facing one's shadow deep within the courtyard
The night hastily bids its stars farewell



風回小庭逐明月
隻身似飄蓬倦未歇
悵悵與暮夜
途拾杯中，漾泊一圓缺

Winds circle the courtyard and chase the bright moon
Lonesome as floating catkins, weary yet unrested
Melancholy and late nights
I merely collect my cup, within its ripples the same moon waxed and waned



【崑曲】
花謝花飛花滿天，紅消香斷有誰憐？

【Opera singing】

Flowers fall, fly, flutter across the sky; who will cherish them once their colors and fragrances fade?

也作風露辭寒春
往事空照夢裡人
庭階蘚生，玉樓埋沉
醉裡問愁最相襯

To be as dewy breezes bidding farewell to chill spring

The past reflects hollow on the one in dreams

Steps overgrown with lichen, jade towers buried and sunken

Sorrows go best with inebriation

也作遠天風裡塵

望斷當年笙歌枕

初逢花醅，醉向早春

空留醒時問離恨

To be as dust caught in a distant wind

Yearning in vain for those years pillowed by melodies

My first encounter with coarse flower wine, ushered me into a drunken spring

Leaving sober hours for the pains of separation

風回小庭逐明月

隻身似飄蓬倦未歇

悵悵與暮夜

途拾杯中，漾泊一圓缺

Winds circle the courtyard and chase the bright moon

Lonesome as floating catkins, weary yet unrested

Melancholy and late nights

I merely collect my cup, within its ripples the same moon waxed and waned

余花臨燭飄香屑

是芳菲散盡催辭別

冉冉對老雀

浮生好夢，算來多是竊

Remaining flowers met candle flames, snowing down as ashen flakes

Is when all their fragrances fade away, hastening this departure

Placidly one faces the old finch

Mortal’s sweet frivolous dreams, are perhaps mostly unearned bliss

趁這奈何天，夢裡暫相見

樓前花枝仍睡在當年

Seize this restless day, for a fleeting tryst in dreams

The flower branches before the tower sleeps still in the past

花謝花飛花滿天

紅消香斷有誰憐

游絲軟系飄春榭

落絮輕沾撲綉簾

Flowers fall, fly, flutter across the sky

Who will cherish them once their colors and fragrances fade?

Soft, swimming silk threads drift between spring pavilions

Fallen catkins catch gently upon embroidered curtain doors

試看春殘花漸落

便是紅顏老死時

一朝春盡紅顏老

花落人亡兩不知

Behold the remnants of spring when flowers fall

Is the time beauty ages and dies

Overnight, spring's ended and beauty aged

Flowers fall and the person’s passed, both into oblivion

*****
Translator's notes:

This song is inspired by the "Song for the Burial of Flowers" (葬花吟; actually I'm not too sure what are the minute difference between the terminologies for poetry form, so I'll use them interchangebly), from the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber"/"Dream of the Red Mansion" (红楼梦) or "Story of the Stone" (石头记), considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest novel written in the history of Chinese literature. 


Full translation of the original poem (last two stanzas in this song are word-for-word from the original poem - the one from the link translated the classical text much better than mine! I suspect this may be from one of the official translations, but I can't be sure as it does not state its source): http://www.59edu.com/novel/shici/200912/15305.html

Lin Daiyu, in-story composer of the "Song for Burial of Flowers", played by actress Chen Xiaoxu, now considered the most iconic portrayal of the character.

[Source: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%99%88%E6%99%93%E6%97%AD/961154]

An excellent English video briefly introducing the novel, for those who are interested:

The last forty chapters of the book has been lost to the world, the completed version we have now is based on the continuation by another author. This leads to many speculation for the story's plot, foreshadowing, and its true ending. For instance, this poem where Lin Daiyu gives the flowers a burial, some interpret it as her lamenting her own fate, foreshadowing her own tragic end, but some speculate that it is a metaphor for the fate of all the women and girls of the Jia family, as the fall from grace of this family is foreshadowed through the original eighty chapters. 

It really is too big a topic for me to delve in any detail regarding this novel, one of the biggest reason being my lack of expertise. As far as my understanding goes, the author's mastery in characterization and nuances in its themes are some of the aspects that make this novel an exceptional masterpiece. I've seen heated debates on Zhihu (something like the Chinese version of Quora) on the novel. Then there's also "Team Daiyu" vs "Team Baochai". Do you prefer the one who wears her heart on her sleeve, prideful and neurotic, petty and abrasive, yet doubtlessly true in her love and loyalty (Lin Daiyu)? Or the one who is tactful, charismatic, gracious, skilled at negotiating the politics in a large family, but you're never quite sure where her true heart lies, and whether her warmth is genuine (Xue Baochai)? 

Lin Daiyu (left) and Xue Baochai (right). From the TV series (1987 version).

Source: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%96%9B%E5%AE%9D%E9%92%97

I think I might have gotten carried away again. So I'll leave it at that. Hope that piques some interest in this classical work (that had led me down its rabbit hole recently as well)!

EDIT (20/02/2021): The old video is no longer working, but it's available here. I've also embedded another Youtube video with the song, and it's also available on Spotify. 

Also, if I recall correctly the link for the full poem translation above is indeed from an official translation, and it's the version translated by David Hawkes. 

[English translation] 赤伶 - Red actor

作曲//Composer：李建衡 (Li Jian Heng)
编曲//Arrangement：何天程 (He Tian Cheng)
作词/文案//Lyricist：清彦 (Qing Yan)
演唱/和声//Vocal/harmony：HITA
昆曲念白//Opera (Kunqu) singing：朱虹 (Zhu Hong)
混音//Mixing：何天程 (He Tian Cheng)
二胡//Erhu：钟意 (Zhong Yi)
笛子//Flute：笛呆子囚牛 (Di Dai Zi Qiu Niu)


********


故事背景

民国二十六年，七月七日夜，随着日军枪声响起，全国陷入一片水深火热之中，此时尚未受到战火波及的安远县城内一片祥和，戏院的戏台上仍咿咿呀呀的唱着悲欢离合《桃花扇》，你方唱罢我登场，只是不知这戏里戏外唱的是谁的悲欢谁的离合。

裴晏之，便是这戏院的“角儿”，方寸戏台上，只见他水袖柔婉、昆腔曼妙，在一众叫好声中，生生演活了那敢爱敢恨、不惜血染桃花的李香君。然家国破碎，山河飘零，孰能幸免。
不久，战火便绵延到此，日本人包围住县城，并来到戏院要求给他们单独演一场，以慰问所有日本士兵，并指名裴晏之出场，若是胆敢拒绝，便烧了整个戏院乃至县城，所有人亦难逃一死。

裴晏之笑了笑，没有拒绝，转身坐到妆台前，描起了眉目。是夜，小县城内一片寂静，映衬着戏院里灯火通明，日本人都坐在戏台下，喝着酒吃着肉，放肆谈笑。锣鼓敲响，戏幕拉开，好戏开场。

台上唱的是情不知所起，一往而深。台下坐的是豺狼虎豹，恶鬼当道。随着鼓声急切，唱腔愈发悲愤，台下那些豺狼竟似也怔住了，就在此刻，台上“李香君”大喝一声“点火！”

直到敌人发觉，火势早已蔓延，想逃出去却发现门早已被堵得严严实实，整座戏楼都在他们不知不觉间被泼洒了油。

台上的戏还在唱着，正唱道：“俺曾见金陵玉殿莺啼晓，秦淮水榭花开早，谁知道容易冰消。眼看他起朱楼，眼看他宴宾客，眼看他楼塌了。这青苔碧瓦堆，俺曾睡风流觉，将五十年兴亡看饱……”楼塌了，戏却未终。

位卑未敢忘忧国，都道戏子无情，怎知戏子也有心。

Background:

On the seventh of July, in the twenty-sixth year since the establishment of the Republic of China, following the firing of Japanese guns, the whole nation was plunged into chaos and suffering. At this point in time, still shielded from war fire, was the peaceful county of An Yuan. Upon their theater stage, songs from the play, “The Peach Blossom Fan”, were still being sung. It was a love story of Hou Fangyu, a scholar from a distinguished family, and Li Xiangjun, a courtesan of great loyalty and integrity, set in the turbulent times at the end of the Ming dynasty. The actors take their positions, coming and going from the stage, only, it wasn’t sure whose heartfelt griefs were being performed.

Those were the days when only men performed on stage, playing both male and female characters. Pei Yanzhi was one such star of his theater group. Upon that stage, his long water sleeves flowed with grace, his singing voice never failed to mesmerize. The female lead he played, Li Xiangjun, though a courtesan of low standing, was bold in love and hatred, steely in her convictions, so much so she was willing to shed blood on her lover’s parting gift to her, the fan, which gave form to the peach blossoms splattered upon it. In rounds of cheers and applause, Pei Yanzhi brought Li Xiangjun to life. However, the nation is shattering, her lands left in desolation, who can be spared of this reality?

Not long after, the battlefront reached their doorstep. The Japanese army surrounded the city, and ordered a private show from the theater to entertain their men. They specifically named Pei Yanzhi to perform. If the theater refused, they would have it burned down, with all the people within. They’d even burn the city down. Everyone would die.

Pei Yanzhi smiled, and did not decline. He turned to his dressing table and began to line his eyes. Nightfall. The city was silent, a stark contrast to the commotion and bright lighting within the theater. Enemy soldiers seated before the stage, drinking and feasting and making merry. The cymbals and drums peeled, curtains rose, it’s showtime.

On the stage, singing about deep, unfaltering love. Beneath the stage, seated rapacious wolves and monsters. The drumroll intensified, the singing rose to a crescendo of grief and rage, startling the villainous audience. Just then, “Li Xiangjun” shouted her order, “light the fire!”

Upon the enemy’s realization, the fire had already spread, and while they crammed for their escape, found out that all exits were barred, tight and secure. The entire building had been drenched in oil without their knowing.

The songs continued still. “I’ve once seen jade halls in the twitter of morning birds, and flowers by the river pavilion in early bloom, who knew it was ephemeral as melting frost. Now I see him building crimson towers, now I see him hosting guests in banquets, now I see his tower coming down. Within this moss-ridden rubble, I’ve slept upon a grand dream, spectated fifty years of glory and fall…” The building came down, but the show had not yet ended.

Though of humble standing, he never dared to forget the plight of his homeland. People say actors are heartless, who knew they, too, had a heart.



********


戲一折 水袖起落

唱悲歡唱離合 無關我

扇開合 鑼鼓響又默

戲中情戲外人 憑誰說

Act one plays, sleeves rise and fall

Singing of sorrows and joys, partings and unions, none concerns me

Fans open and close, drumrolls peal and stall

The passions within, the actor without, who’s to tell

慣將喜怒哀樂都融入粉墨

陳詞唱穿又如何 白骨青灰皆我

亂世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘憂國 哪怕無人知我

Having used to blend all my colors in powder and paint

What matters if I sing these old worn lines, bone white or ash gray are all mine

In precarious times one endures the sight of war flames engulfing our lands

Despite humble standings I dare not forget my homeland, even if I should be understood by none

臺下人走過 不見舊顏色

臺上人唱著 心碎離別歌

情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

戲幕起 戲幕落 誰是客

The persons down the stage walk pass, not a familiar face seen

The person upon the stage sings, songs of heartbreak and partings

Passions hard to put in words, her singing must be harmonized by blood

Curtains rise, curtains fall, who’s the guest in this

【昆曲】

李香君：濃情悔認真，回頭皆幻景，對面是何人……

【Kunqu opera singing】

Li Xiangjun: Deep passions I regret to have taken to heart, looking back it’s all but illusions, who’s there at the other end...?

戲一折 水袖起落

唱悲歡唱離合 無關我

扇開合 鑼鼓響又默

戲中情戲外人 憑誰說

Act one plays, sleeves rise and fall

Singing of sorrows and joys, partings and unions, none concerns me

Fans open and close, drumrolls peal and stall

The passions within, the actor without, who’s to tell

慣將喜怒哀樂都藏入粉墨

陳詞唱穿又如何 白骨青灰皆我

亂世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘憂國 哪怕無人知我

Having used to hide all my colors in powder and paint

What matters if I sing these old worn lines, bone white or ash gray are all mine

In precarious times one endures the sight of war flames engulfing our lands

Despite humble standings I dare not forget my homeland, even if I should be understood by none

臺下人走過 不見舊顏色

臺上人唱著 心碎離別歌

情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

戲幕起 戲幕落 終是客

The persons down the stage walk pass, not a familiar face seen

The person upon the stage sings, songs of heartbreak and partings

Passions hard to put in words, her singing must be harmonized by blood

Curtains rise, curtains fall, a guest at the very end

你方唱罷我登場

莫嘲風月戲 莫笑人荒唐

也曾問青黃 也曾鏗鏘唱興亡

道無情 道有情 怎思量

With one player’s curtain call, the next struts along

Jeer not at frivolous shows, laugh not at fooleries of men

I’ve once cared for rights and wrongs, I’ve once resolutely sung of glory and demise

The Path’s cruel, the Path’s kind, what’s to make of it

道無情 道有情 費思量

The Path’s cruel, the Path’s kind, no need to make anything of it

*****

Translator's note:


This story is a piece of historical fiction set during the Japanese invasion of China that began in 1937. As moving as it is, it is almost certainly not a true story. There are no historical sources for this, and to pull off the plan, the whole theater group must be in on it, which seems close to improbable. Still, I think it being fictional doesn't stop it from being enjoyable, especially given the context with theater performances and the featured play, "The Peach Blossom Fan". 

In the past, performers, actors, singers do not get much respect from mainstream society in China, perhaps due to their historical association with prostitution, and the perception that their work was just for frivolous entertainment. Many may have come from disadvantaged backgrounds that resorted to these means to earn a living. The word "戏子" is a slur for show runners and entertainers. In this context, we can draw parallels from the main character, Pei Yanzi with the character Li Xiangjun, that he plays.

It's too much for me to go into the details of the story for "The Peach Blossom Fan". Essentially, the courtesan who harbors the stereotype of being vacillating and unfaithful displays the exact opposite of those traits, and puts to shame even so called respectable men. She resist being framed by her enemy to marry her off to another by running into a nearby pillar, her blood splattered onto the fan given by her lover. Another character witnessed the event and was moved by her steely resolve, so he drew branches to turn the blood splats into peach blossoms, then sent it to Hou Fangyu, her lover, as proof of her conviction and devotion. This story was performed as a Kunqu opera play. Just to get a feel of what the performances are actually like, here's a snippet from the play. We as a modern audience may not be familiar with this type of aesthetics. It's rather slowly paced, and their style of singing reflects the aesthetics of earlier times. But I think it's really cool that they incorporate elements of it into modern songs like the one above.

If you are into a version of this song with a lighter dose of opera-styled singing, here's another cover by 等什么君 (Deng Shen Me Jun):

Just a few note on language, for the phrase "Having used to blend/hide all my colors in powder and paint", the "color" here means the actor's emotions, 喜怒哀乐, literally translating to happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy.

Being a "guest", in this context, contrast with being the master of ones homeland. So once the city was invaded, their home no longer belongs to them but the enemy, hence the subject is a "guest in their own homeland".

So yeah, I think I'm going to end it here cause this is getting way too long. Hope you enjoyed it, and have a great day!

[English translation] 畫地為牢 - Trapped in a Circle

專輯//Album：問心 (Wen Xin)
歌手//Vocals：雲の泣 / 葉里 (Yunno Qi / Ye Li)
作曲//Composer : 錦衣小盆友 (Jin Yi Xiao Pen You)
作詞//Lyricist : 錦衣小盆友 (Jin Yi Xiao Pen You)


*****

【文案】
天寶二年，五毒教左長老烏蒙貴叛教失敗，自立天一教，命教眾於洛道研製屍毒，李渡遂殭屍遍布，淪為一座死城。
然有一非人非屍的“背棺者”，孤身遊蕩，步履蹣跚。

During the second year of Tian Bao, an Elder of Wu Du, Wu Meng Gui, led a failed coup against his own organisation. He then established himself separately as the cult of Tian Yi, and ordered his followers to develop a necromantic poison in Luo Dao. The city of Li Du quickly became overrun by the undead, and soon a ghost town it became. 

However, there was still a lone wanderer, neither completely a living man nor an undead, known as “The Coffin Bearer”, plodding in languid footsteps.

*****

One mission accomplished. One danger dealt with. Granted, the stature of this undead was small, but it was no easy task to take him down. He used to be a living, breathing boy, perhaps harbouring dreams of becoming a martial hero when he grows up. I let out a heavy sigh and stopped myself from thinking further. 

I went back to the Coffin Bearer who sought my assistance. With an odd queasiness in my guts, I presented the boy’s head as proof. One zombified eye, white and lifeless; the other a living man’s eye, equally hollow, stared ahead. I felt a lump in my throat, and slowly, noticed the features of the boy reflected on the one I was facing. I couldn’t fight this one. He had told me. Please exterminate this threat for the people’s sake. A tremor grew in my arms, the air became suffocating. My heart fought to still itself, but I was certain that my thoughts were betrayed.

Finally, with a croaking voice, the Coffin Bearer answered, “that was my son.” He then turned to the coffin on his back, his wife. “My love, now you can rest in peace.”

*****

細雨飄泊 天地一身落拓

夕陽佝僂 照著趟不過的河

楓葉走在紅塵 尾聲猶斟酌

餘暉深緘血色承諾

In drifting rains, between heaven and earth’s a world in desolation

The crippled sunset reflects upon an uncrossable river

A maple leaf trails at the end of mortal’s dust

Lingering rays of dusk seal this promise of blood

肩上棺木唏噓 周身煞氣驚行客

林海恍惚 唱一襟嗚咽舊歌

孤云亦步亦趨 幾點烏鴉飛過

挾裹不闔眼執著 淪為心頭沈痾

The coffin upon my shoulder a point of lament, the ghastly aura around me startles passerbys

The sea of forest seems to sing an old song in sobs

A lone cloud follows my pace, a few spots of crows soar by

Bringing with me this grievance I’ll hold unto death, a plague weighing upon my heart

昔時陶然村舍 空剩些鬼魅交駁

李渡朝暮 定格在萬籟靜默

共飲一彎江水 竟是陰陽相隔

螢火將歿的那瞬 可願燃骨跋涉

A merry village in the past, left only with clashes between ghosts

Night or day, the city stilled in perpetual silence

Drinking from the same bend of the river, yet separated by the realms of life and death

When comes the moment of demise, I shall willingly embark on this excruciating journey

撥開混沌人潮 怕聽得

來者踉蹌嘶啞 哭著喊爹爹

天地間麻木軀殼 半生離合

遠方百家燈火 哪盞屬於我

Jostling through the indistinct crowd, I fear most to hear

The one who comes stumbling, in a hoarse voice, with cries of “father”

Between heaven and earth, this numb shell has seen half a lifetime of partings

Hundreds of lantern lights from homes in the distance, which belongs to me?

若能牢牢攥住 你魂魄

鴉發坐肩頭唱 雲和花的歌

安然長出如我般 掌心脈絡

踏遍日月星辰 與多情山河

If only I could tightly hold on to your soul

Have you, the young one with dark hair, sit upon my shoulders, singing of the clouds and flowers

And grow out the lines on your palm, ones like mine

I’ll go as far as the bodies of heaven, and the earth with all its sentimentality

目及路邊墳塚 如千萬魂燈錯落

少年老者 白骨遍地餵禿鷲

必將以身托缽 代你手刃罪惡

喚一聲吾孩無常 予山河輕描摹

To look upon graves by the roadside, like millions of soullights strewn

Young and old, their scattered bones feed the vultures

I will offer up my body in devotion, and exterminate this evil in your place

To call upon my child’s name, giving the world but the lightest regard

是歲晨昏顛倒 乾坤洗劍殺消磨

血親路人 早晚相赴黃泉約

甘囚回憶之牢 天涯本無寄所

誓人間地獄未空 平生不得成佛

Dusk or dawn I give it no mind, my blade washed in murder to pass time

Blood relatives or passerbys, will someday fulfill the promise to meet in the afterlife

I’ll gladly be imprisoned in my memories, since there is no respite for me till the ends of the world

To vow that as long as this hell upon earth have not been emptied, I’ll never transcend to godhood

撥開混沌人潮 怕聽得

來者踉蹌嘶啞 哭著喊爹爹
天地間麻木軀殼 半生離合
遠方百家燈火 再無屬於我

Jostling through the indistinct crowd, I fear most to hear

The one who comes stumbling, in a hoarse voice, with cries of “father”

Between heaven and earth, this numb shell has seen half a lifetime of partings

Hundreds of lantern lights from homes in the distance, will never again belong to me



若能牢牢攥住 你魂魄
鴉發坐肩頭唱 雲和花的歌
安然長出如我般 掌心脈絡
而今墓前蓬草 歷歷如新也

If only I could tightly hold on to your soul
Have you, the young one with dark hair, sit upon my shoulders, singing of the clouds and flowers
And grow out the lines on your palm, ones like mine...
Yet now the grasses before the grave, seem as fresh as new



*****

Translator's note:

Been listening to this song for a while, and I hadn’t realized that it had a backstory to it. Despite all my digging, I could only piece it together what I feel is an incomplete picture, and I don’t know if I got all the details right. (Especially for the short snippet). Apparently it’s a side quest from the Chinese MMORPG Jian Wang 3 (JX3).

The Coffin Bearer’s name is Murong Zhuifeng (慕容追风), an NPC in the game. He, his wife Zhuo Wanqing (卓婉清), and their son, Murong Wuchang (慕容无常) all were victims of the necromantic poison. Zhuifeng retained part of his humanity and his senses, but his family didn’t. He sealed his wife in a coffin and carried her around to prevent her from harming the innocent. His son, unfortunately, turned into a formidable creature and became the leader of a group of undeads. Hence the story above. This also explains the phrase “and grow out the lines on your palm, ones like mine”, as it’s a convention in these stories for the absence of palm lines in the undead.

Credits to the translation and explanation by Rebecca Yiu (helped me a lot with understanding the more ambiguous lyrics), as well as the title suggestion by Gussy Wormy, both from the comment section of the embedded video. The translation for the title, trying to find a balance between its literal meaning and the mood it captures, is kinda tricky. It has a flavor of “self-imposed prison” to it, but that’s not completely right either. “Trapped”, “Imprisoned”, or “Restricted” sound a tad bit too unspecific, generic, and/or sterile. So… yeah, this is by far the best translation for this title I’ve come across.

I’ve debated with myself whether to translate “平生不得成佛” as “I’ll never transcend to godhood”, or the more accurate translation “I’ll never transcend to nirvana”. Again, it’s the accuracy vs aesthetics balance. Since I’m more partial towards aesthetics, to emphasize mood and smooth flow over literal accuracy, I’ve chosen the more native English word over the borrowed one. Just do note that the “godhood” in this context is quite different from the conventional Western notion.

Hope you enjoyed it!

[English translation] 心上秋 Autumn upon One's Heart (Sorrow)

作曲//Composition：litterzy

編曲//Arrangement：Mzf小慕 (Mzf Xiao Mu)

作詞//Lyrics：冉語優 (Ran Yu You)

原唱//Original vocal：星塵 (Stardust - VOCALOID)

調教//Tuning：花兒不哭 (Hua Er Bu Ku)

混音//Mixing：Mr.曾經 (Mr. Ceng Jing) 

視頻//Video：mist【麻薯映像】(Ma Shu Ying Xiang)

曲繪//Art：白鄔東 (Bai Wu Dong)

*****

No one was willing to marry the barbarian lord as a bride of peace. 

Just when Emperor Yuan of Han was at a loss, a servant brought news from his harem. One of his consorts volunteered for this marriage alliance. Her name was Wang Zhaojun. The emperor ordered for a review of her portrait, as he had never seen her in person, which was no surprise, as he soon found out from her sketch. She had a homely face, and the mole under her eye especially subtracted from her beauty. With so many other women, he wouldn't call upon such a plain one. No loss there if she were to leave, so he thought, and approved her self-nomination. 

Before Zhaojun's departure, the emperor paid her a customary visit. He was shocked by what he saw. A stunningly beautiful, well-spoken lady stood before him. Her presence radiated grace, her humble words could not conceal her wit, yet, there was the slightest air of melancholy about her. Perhaps it was the emptiness that afflicted so many of these women, left languishing alone, ignored and forgotten in the depths of the palace. He regretted to have allowed her departure, but an emperor could not go back on his words. With great reluctance, he let the barbarian lord lead her away into the harsh northern winter.  

After the ceremony, the emperor still could not let go of this ordeal. If he had known her earlier, he would have lavished her with his affection and all the splendor of the empire. Why then, have such a gem in his very own palace, been overlooked? 

The portrait. He examined it once again. The sketch did not look like her at all, and the mole under her eye was most certainly non-existent. It was deliberate. 

At the corner, the inscription was signed by one of the imperial artists, Mao Yanshou. 

In a fit of rage, he ordered all the imperial artists arrested and interrogated. It turned out that the practice of receiving bribes was rampant among them. If the women wished to be drawn well enough for a chance at the emperor's attention, they will have to pay up. Zhaojun had not paid Mao anything. 

This was a terrible crime, a deception towards the son of heaven, and deserved the most severe of punishments. The emperor had all his artists, Mao especially, put to death. 

Zhaojun spent the rest of her life out in the steppes of barbarian lands, and thus, securing peace and stability within the local territory, as well as the tribe's relation with the Han empire. She bore the ruling family a son and two daughters, before passing away from an illness at the age of thirty-five.  

*****

記不起究竟哪一次

當秋光漫上了窗外花枝

你頓筆回眸一顧

熟稔得仿佛似舊日相識

I can’t remember when it was

When autumn’s light crept upon flower branches by the windows

You halted your brush and glanced back at me

with such warm familiarity, just like a friend of old

並肩長談過多少往事

恍然間黃昏已至

以為一雙知己做了一世

從來不過如此

Shoulder by shoulder, how much of our past we’ve told one another

As if in a trance dusk had settled

Believing we made a pair of soulmates for life

Yet it had never truly been so

紙上描眉目　不辯妍或媸

剎那美人成東施

就中的故事　豈止一人痴　

落款誰提了名氏

Sketching those features unto paper, distinguishing not fair or homely

In an instance a beauty turned unseemly

Within this story, who said there’s but one obsessed fool 

Who signed his name upon its inscription

輾轉經由他人唇齒　

多少日夜聽聞你的故事

難道這情之一字　

竟連拋生死亦不可探知

Passing along the lips of others

How many days and nights I’ve heard tales about you

Is it true that this word, “love”

even through forsaking one’s life, still remains unfathomable

聽說北國的那座城池　

被冬雪覆了終日

等到故人長訣漸行漸遠

轉眼已隔兩世

They say that city in the northern kingdom

Is covered in an everlasting winter snow

Till farewell with the old friend stretched farther into the distance

In the blink of an eye, both were two worlds apart

誰向生而死　誰患得患失　

相顧也再無多時

畫中人暗自　竟心蕩神痴　

一滴淚氤氳滿紙

Who perished from one's yearning for life, who hesitated in one's gives and takes

Little time remained for our mutual company

The figure in the portrait, secretly, unexpectedly, plunged into a daze

One drop of tear permeated the entire canvas

揮墨描眉目　提筆勾鬢絲　

寥寥幾筆竟如此

夜半無人處　對月展卷時　

忽然看懂這相思

A splash of ink to outline one’s eyes, lifting the brush to sketch one’s hair

A measly few strokes left us with such

Deep in the night with no one by my side, while unfurling the scroll under the moon

Suddenly, I understood this longing

落款誰提了名字

Who signed his name upon its inscription

******

The setting sun dyed the palace grounds the hue of late autumn leaves.

"So you've decided?"

"I've sent in my nomination." She stood by the window and replied in a pensive tone. Yet, the spark in her eyes was unmistakable.

"It's been long since I've seen you this excited," he said. "It's a tough life out there. Is this what you want, really?" 

She looked up into the sky, past the palace walls, towards the direction of the north star in the evening sky. "I guess I've finally found my purpose. Beats sitting idle all day long here." She turned back towards him. "I'll remember all those stories you shared with me. I just want to know how much I appreciate your company. You've been such a great friend."

Friend. 

He fumbled for the scroll he had been carrying in his pouch and held it out for her.

"Here's a private portrait I made of you. Take this as my parting gift."

She accepted it and unfurled the scroll. 

"It's the loveliest painting I've seen. Mao, your art is stunning, as always. Thank you."

That sincere smile she gave as she held up the scroll, unabashed in her generosity, would be branded by the brilliant rays of fleeting dusk in his consciousness forever.



*********


Translator's note: 

Aights so this has been growing mold in my drafts since ages ago. I've been snowed under a pile of things lately as life catches up. So I'll be keeping the notes brief this time round.

In Chinese, the word for "autumn" (秋) above, combined with the word "heart" (心) below, forms the word "sorrow" (愁). So as with many of the other songs in this album, there are often layers of meaning in the title itself.

Wang Zhaojun is also known as one of the four most beautiful woman of ancient China. The story with Mao Yanshou, the imperial artist, is a well-known one, though not recorded in the official historical documents. The narrative was that Mao was a shrewd and greedy official who short changed Zhaojun because she refused to bribe him, and in the end received his comeuppance. Some later scholars argued that it may not have been fair to the artists. Who is to say that the portrait not matching up to the beauty of the actual person is a deliberate attempt to deceive the emperor? Maybe his only crime was merely the failing in his artistic skills.

The producers of the song went for something else - perhaps it was not hate (or revenge for her refusal of the bribe), but love and admiration. Anyhow, it is yet another one of those stories that leaves us with our imagination. Hope you enjoy the song and the story!