In the year 202 BCE, the Hegemon-King of Chu, Xiang Yu, who had brought the Qin empire to its knees, who had once been the supreme leader across the central plains, arrived at Gaixia with his defeated army. Their numbers were few, and their food supplies exhausted. The Han army already had them surrounded.
Singing of songs from Chu by the enemy travelled into Xiang Yu’s camp. In shock, Xiang Yu exclaimed, “have they taken over all of Chu already?”
He had won impossible battles. He had dominated all his competitors. Kneeling before him after his legendary victory, they hadn’t dared to meet his eyes. If only he had heeded his advisor and rid of Liu Bang, king of Han, during the banquet at Swan’s Gate. Despaired by the devastation of his army, torn by the fate that awaited his loved one once the Han army advanced, Xiang Yu sang to his consort Yu:
“力拔山兮气盖世，
时不利兮骓不逝。
骓不逝兮可奈何，
虞兮虞兮奈若何！”
“With strength to lift mountains, and an unrivalled air of dominance;
Yet times have turned unfavored, my prized steed runs no longer;
My steed runs no longer, what now can I do
Yu, my dearest Yu, what can I do with you?”
Consort Yu took up a sword and performed a dance, answering him in verses:
“汉兵已略地，
四面楚歌声。
大王意气尽，
贱妾何聊生！”
“The Han army has conquered our lands
With our songs surrounding us on all sides
My king’s strength and will are spent,
How can I, a lowly consort, speak of life!”
All who were present wept. His followers couldn’t bear the sight of their proud, valiant leader now a broken man in tears. Not wanting to burden her king's escape and battle, Consort Yu put herself to the sword, ending his dilemma. He buried her at the site of her death.
What ensued was a battle to the death. Xiang Yu cut out a bloody path, killed more than a hundred enemies, and managed to escape to the river banks of Wu. A subordinate rowed a boat forth. He urged Xiang Yu to cross the river and rebuild his forces in the eastern lands, where he had first risen to power.
Xiang Yu laughed. “If it’s Heaven’s will to end me, what’s the point of crossing? I brought eight thousand sons of the eastern lands to advance west, yet not one returns alive. Even if they should make me leader again out of love and pity, can I bring myself to face them? Even if they don’t speak of it, do I not know guilt?”
He gave his treasured warhorse to the subordinate. His horse shall return, but not its rider. Xiang Yu turned back and charged at his enemies, slaying a further hundred enemy soldiers. He too had been gravely wounded in battle. Upon seeing an old friend in the enemy ranks, Xiang Yu called out to him, and said: “I heard the king of Han put a bounty of a thousand gold on my head, and promised the title of Lord of Ten Thousand Households. Consider this a favor for you!” Xiang Yu then put his sword to his neck, ending his life at the age of thirty-one.
The king of Han, Liu Bang, emerged the ultimate victor from the chaos since the fall of the Qin empire, and was titled Emperor Gaozu of Han. Thus began the great Han dynasty, which will last for the next four hundred years in the history of the central plains.
作曲//Composer：陈亦洺 (Chen Yi Ming) / KBShinya
作词//Lyrics：骆栖淮 (Luo Qi Huai)
编曲//Arrangement：向往 (Xiang Wang)
原唱//Original vocal：av65904455 赤羽 (Vocaloid Chiyu)
调教//Tuning (for Vocaloid)：坐标P (Zuo Biao P)
翻混//Mixing：三无 Marblue (San Wu Marblue; also the cover for the video)
南箫//Flute：囚牛 (Qiu Niu)
吉他//Guitar：Riyo
视频//Video：RUMIA、BUNG KON【麻薯映像】
曲绘//Art：
杂煮虎猫糕（虞姬舞剑）- Za Zhu Hu Mao Gao (Consort Yu's sword dance)
白鄔東（鸿门宴、楚汉棋局对垒）- Bai Wu Dong (Banquet of Swan's Gate, Chu vs Han chess)
AKWA（刘邦被刺、项羽自刎）- AKWA (Sword stabbing at Liu Bang, Xiang Yu commits suicide)
酒绛子（霸王别姬）- Jiu Jiang Zi (Xiang Yu bidding farewell to his consort)
***
汉军已略地 四面楚歌声
霸王意气尽 贱妾何聊生
The Han army has conquered our lands
With our songs, surrounding us on all sides
My king’s strength and will are spent,
How can I, a lowly consort, speak of life!
[On the banquet of Swan’s Gate]
明月如水掀浪 风云际会弦上
杯酒交互锋芒 君心探试短长
华筵邀判来者 舞拔剑光
席间鸿门将相 哪个称霸王
The bright moon’s like a rising wave, a stormy encounter hangs by a string
Blades exchanged with wine cups, intending to test his heart
A great feast to invite and judge its guests, a dance with swords unsheathed
Lords and generals seated in this deadly banquet, who shall claim dominance
[On Xiang Yu, Hegemon-King of Chu]
千古坐拥 世无双
Forever secured in history, a name unparalleled
拆山河 川流割裂五岳摇荡
几曾寻剑泰阿说颓唐
分天下 各自为君排兵列仗
可笑锦衣富贵如何不归乡
Lands taken apart, rivers cut up, and the five mountains quaked
Search for the sword of the first emperor fell to languor
The world divided, each army arranged in battle formation for their kings
How laughable, why would one who made his fortune not return home
（且问 且量）任平生尽逐兵戈场 自可取天地与四方
（且战 且狂）敢破釜沉舟气势张 将三军胄甲拟兴亡
（且悲 且怅）见八千子弟不得还 将军擂鼓提剑赴大江
虞姬隔江犹把楚声唱
(To ask, to gauge) His life spent chasing upon battlefields, all lands by nature was his to claim
(To battle, to rage) He once dared sink boats to bolster battle spirits, composed fates with the armor of his men
(To grief, to mourn) Eight thousand sons of the east never to return, the general struck his war drum, and with his sword, headed for the river
His consort Yu seemed to sing beyond the river still
[On Liu Bang, King of Han]
运筹策谋帷帐 决胜千里奔忙
春秋难测庸常 劈风斩月相抗
楚汉寂寞封疆 野水苍茫
阅尽英雄功业 哪个是真王
Strategies and tactics drawn up in his camps, toiling for victory with foresight
Seasons prove its unpredictability, fighting odds with ferocious tenacity
At the lonely border between Chu and Han, its waters wild and bleak
Having studied the works of great men, who is truly the king?
烽火不歇 黄沙烫
Flames of war cease not, yellow sands scorched
大风起 不忌前尘国士贤良
所行振旗策马需同往
四海绝 平生之志永定家邦
应叹潜龙跃麟君指刀锋扬
Great winds rise, minding not the past but the merits of patriots
Where his standards go they ride and follow
Within the four seas, was his lifelong ambition to secure home and nation
Like a hidden dragon, a leaping beast, he raised the tip of his blade
（且疑 且妄）拜下邑画策张子房 更劝都关中别洛阳
（且疾 且向）逢一朝鸿鹄青云上 策一朝悬壁通云梁
（且呼 且王）终成败有尽登庙堂 其路漫漫万载俱流芳
大江东去天下称帝皇
(To doubt, to bewilder) Humbling himself to the one who advised, Zhang Zifang, for a capital in Guanzhong not Luoyang
(To spur, to go) With each encounter he reaches above the swans in the sky, each move he climbed cliff walls through the clouds
(To hail the king) A necessary end to his legacy made its place in temple halls, a long road to leave great names down the ages
As the river flows east, he claimed emperor under heaven
拆山河 川流割裂五岳摇荡
几曾寻剑泰阿说颓唐
分天下 各自为君排兵列仗
可笑锦衣富贵如何不归乡
Lands taken apart, rivers cut up, and the five mountains quaked
Search for the sword of the first emperor fell to languor
The world divided, each army arranged in battle formation for their kings
How laughable, why would one who made his fortune not return home
（且问 且量）任平生尽逐兵戈场 自可取天地与四方
（且战 且狂）敢破釜沉舟气势张 将三军胄甲拟兴亡
（且悲 且怅）见八千子弟不得还 将军擂鼓提剑赴大江
虞姬隔江犹把楚声唱
(To ask, to gauge) His life spent chasing upon battlefields, all lands by nature was his to claim
(To battle, to rage) He once dared sink boats to bolster battle spirits, composed fates with the armor of his men
(To grief, to mourn) Eight thousand sons of the east never to return, the general struck his war drum, and with his sword, headed for the river
His consort Yu seemed to sing beyond the river still
***
Translator's note:
Long, long, long overdue post. Have posted the backstory, translation, and some footnotes, in the comments of the video weeks ago. I intended to elaborate further in the blog, but Real Life™ caught up with me. So here we are.
When this song first came out, I was totally blown away at my first listening. I mean, how epic is this? Especially knowing some of the story behind, it's just... love at first sight. I had been listening to this one song on loop, with all the different covers, for most a week. The tragic hero coupled with the lover’s sacrifice makes such a compelling story that it has never faded from our cultural consciousness. There's a well-known Chinese opera play based on it, "Farewell to My Concubine" (霸王别姬).
The reason this is called "Chess Under Heaven" (I can't find the exact word to translate "局", but it approximately means the state of the game, and in this case it obviously refers to chess), is because the both parties in our modern Chinese chess represents the two sides in this battle between the Chu (楚) and the Han (汉). Xiang Yu was rumored to favor the color black, and was said to dress in black and rides a black horse; while Liu Bang fashioned himself "the Red Emperor".
There really is too much story for me to possibly do it justice. Interestingly, many people side with the loser (Xiang Yu, the tragic hero) rather than the victor (Liu Bang). Some thought Xiang Yu was too naive for his own good. He's this domineering figure, utterly fearless on the battlefield. He had cut off all retreat for him and his men to fight against a much larger army, while his allies hid behind their walls. It was a phenomenal victory that established his superiority over the other warlords of the time. Yet he shows a very human side. Historical records say he would attend to his sick or wounded men, sending them food and well-wishes in person, with tearful glints in his eyes. One contemporary described him as having "a woman's kindness, and a brute's bravado" (these were not meant to be compliments). At impending doom, he showed no fear of death, but pained for his lover and his favorite horse. Personally, I find his forthright personality almost childlike. But do not be fooled into thinking he is some Ned Stark. He has a vicious streak, evidently from his ruthless assassination of various political rivals (including the supposed Emperor of Chu), burying up to 200,000 surrendered Qin soldiers alive, massacring whole cities, and frying the body of a rival's mother in rage, who had committed suicide to thwart Xiang Yu's plan to make her hostage.
Liu Bang on the other hand, is equally compelling in his own way. Though a minor official, he's often portrayed as a gangster figure in his hometown. Doesn't really bother much about family. But boy does he have lots of friends. He liked to hang out with the working class people (unlike Xiang Yu, who was born into an old aristocratic family). In fact, a huge proportion of his supporters were people from the grassroots of society, e.g. butchers, prison wardens. His warring track record isn't exactly as shiny as Xiang Yu, however, he emerged the ultimate victor, all thanks to his political savvy and knowing when to listen to his advisers.
As all good politicians go, he can be quite coldly calculating, to the point where he could kick his own son and daughter off his chariot to escape faster from his pursuers (though the historical truth of this event is being contended). In fact, he caught Xiang Yu off guard just before that final battle because he breached the peace treaty they just signed. After he became emperor, he got rid of potential threats to his regime, even those who had made his ascension to the throne possible. Zhang Liang, one of his closest advisers (the one in the video), foresaw this not long after Liu Bang ascended his throne. He tried to warn one of his colleagues (General Han Xin) to retire before Liu Bang decided to get rid of them. "Once the cunning hare has died, the hunting dogs are cooked." Han Xin made the fatal mistake of ignoring Zhang Liang's advice. Zhang Liang on the other hand, who had given up the potential rewards that came with his merits, lived peacefully in retirement till his death. A wise strategist will know how to preserve himself, even from his boss.
Anyway, I think I've rambled enough. I personally found this part of history really fascinating, and dug deep into it after falling in love with the song.
This is the story of Yi River from the villain’s perspective -- Ying Zheng, King of Qin, first emperor of the united China, the legendary Qin Shi Huang Di.
Ying Zheng grew up the child of an escaped hostage prince in enemy land. Whether this hostage prince of Qin, or the opportunistic merchant who offered the prince his courtesan, was his true father, remained a mystery till this very day.
He eventually returned to Qin and ascended the throne when he was only thirteen. As adulthood approached, his mother and her lover conspired to overthrow him in favor of his half-brothers, two toddlers raised in secrecy. He foiled the plot, had the lover torn apart alive by five horses, placed his mother under house arrest, and murdered his two half-brothers.
By age 39, with the surrender of the last state of Qi, Ying Zheng had finally conquered all six kingdoms and united the world under heaven. The former king of Qi had been left to starve and die amid conifer trees. Songs were sung about this.
So great he deemed his achievements, greater than the god-like sovereigns of the mythical ages, the three “Huang” and five “Di” (三皇五帝), he titled himself “Shi Huang Di” (始皇帝; “Shi” - the beginning). The Heirloom Seal of the Realm (传国玉玺), made of the sacred jade Heshibi, embodied the ultimate authority of the emperor. Qin Shi Huang thereby decreed, his son, and the son of his son, till the thousandth, ten thousandth generation, shall succeed this great, everlasting empire.
Heirloom Seal of the Realm, as illustrated in the video.
To ward off nomadic invaders from the north, he built the first Great Wall. People said the wall was built with the skeletons of its laborers. Better that than barbarian’s hooves, some argue. He unified written language, measurement standards, currency, laws, across China, setting the foundation of what will come to be the Chinese empire for the next few thousands of years.
He lived through numerous assassination attempts. His closest ever to death was the attempt by the emissary of Yan, Jing Ke. Thus borne the saying, “exhaust the picture scroll and the dagger shows” (图穷匕见). He had managed to tear his sleeve away from the assassin’s grip just as the poisoned dagger came down on him. The attacker was utterly vicious and relentless. Forced to run for his life round the pillars, realizing he was the only one armed in the great hall, he struggled to unsheath his long sword. If it wasn’t for the precious few seconds his doctor earned him by hurling a medicine kit at the assassin, he would’ve most likely been dead. He severed Jing Ke’s left thigh and stabbed him a further eight times. The assassin threw the dagger at him as a last ditch attempt, which ended with the dagger’s strike against a pillar behind him. Even as Jing Ke met his death, the man had the audacity to sit with his thighs (what’s remaining of it) insolently apart, laughing in scorn.
After that came the close friend of Jing Ke, the blind musician, Gao Jian Li, who hurled his lead-filled zither in bitter vengeance. That was, of course, handled swiftly and appropriately. Then at Bo Lang Sha, there’s the huge iron mallet intended for him, but instead crushed one of his accompanying carriage. Those conspirators got away with it.
It had been a hard-won victory, the world under heaven was his reward. The first emperor was determined to run it well. He went through thousands of bamboo scrolls worth of government documents himself, often late into the night, every night.
But there’s one more foe left undefeated. Death. Death would take away everything he had. Death was something not even the greatest men who lived can escape. He will find a way to overcome such improbability; after all, it was just one more challenge, isn’t it? Those self-proclaimed sages and alchemists would not be so daft as to dismiss his ambitions. As per their advice, he sent out ships with six thousand virgin boys and girls to the Eastern Sea, hoping they’d retrieve for him the “elixir of immortality” from the mystical islands where deities and gods live. The ships never returned.
In the year 211 BCE, the star of “Illuminating Doubt”, the red star of death, war and destruction, lingered near the star of “Heart”, symbolizing the king*. The following year, during Ying Zheng’s fifth journey across his realm, the critically ill first emperor of China left orders for his banished eldest son, Fu Su, to return from the borders and succeed the throne. At age 49, the ancestor of dragons was dead.
News of his death were kept secret, the stench of his rotting body masked with a cart of dried seafood, till the travelling entourage returned to the capital. Ying Zheng’s younger son, Hu Hai, with the aid of his co-conspirators, the chief eunuch and the prime minister, falsified the emperor’s will and ordered Fu Su to commit suicide. To consolidate power upon his usurped throne, Hu Hai had more than thirty of his brothers and sisters brutally murdered. Hu Hai’s ruthlessness may be on par with his father, but his capability simply cannot match. Uprisings broke out across the empire. Just three years after Hu Hai’s succession as the second emperor of Qin, the Qin dynasty came to a bloody end.
Great conqueror, legendary emperor, monstrous tyrant. Qin Shi Huang Di’s legacy stays close to us till this day. His virtues and vices, facts and fiction, many questions remain, debates still rage on. Who was his father? Aside from the book burnings, did he actually order to have Confucianist scholars buried alive? Was he as cruel and insane as the historical records say, or was it a smear campaign by the dynasty that replaced his? Why hadn’t he appointed an empress and a crown prince? What does his tomb look like? Is it truly made in the likeness of the landscape of the empire, with precious stones as the stars and flowing mercury its rivers and seas?
One thing is certain however. This enigmatic man, almost larger than life itself, left us plenty of room for imagination within this spectacular chapter in history.
*In the lyrics “protecting the heart and illuminating doubt” is a wordplay on the celestial event (荧惑守心) around the time of Qin Shi Huang Di’s death. “守” can mean protect, keep, or stay. The red star of “Illuminating Doubt” (萤惑) is actually Mars. If it lingers arounds a certain position, as in this case, it’s considered a bad omen.
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//Supervisors：落落无尘、卿雅、小仙、顾雪柔 (Luo Luo Wu Chen, Qin Ya, Xiao Xian, Gu Xue Rou)
作曲//Composer：陈亦洺 (Chen Yi Ming)
作词//Lyrics：玄天 (Xuan Tian)
编曲//Arrangement：Mzf小慕 (Mzf Xiao Mu)
原唱//Vocalist：星尘 (Stardust)
翻唱//Vocalist (Cover)：三无 Marblue (San Wu Marblue)
调教//：花儿不哭 (Hua Er Bu Ku)
混音//Mixing：Mr.曾经 (Mr. Ceng Jing)
笛子//Flute：囚牛 (Qiu Niu)
视频//Video：小约酱【麻薯映像】(Xiao Yue Jiang [Mochi Pictures])
曲绘//Art：白鄔東 (Bai Wu Dong)
***
阶前的寒雨打湿着无尽的萧索
这片土地曾燃起战火有几多
被车辙与马蹄长碾过
满目狼藉血泪风与火
流离失所漂泊 乱世有何你我
Cold rains before the stairways pattered upon an endless desolation
How many times have the fires of war ignite upon this land
Long crushed by chariot wheels and hooves
A bloody carnage weeping in winds and flames
The homeless left wandering, a world in turmoil does not discern you or I
掌六辔在手驰骋烈火 兴师于子矛戈
六国毕一便终将过往的铭刻
田垄上便又能听那蒹葭及忘我良多
Driving six bridles and charge in battle fury, I’ve raised arms to war
Six states ending in one, shall conclude this reminiscence of the past
Upon the fields, songs and poems can once again be heard in abundance
初时年少登王座 平几端乱祸
自此天地便开阔
赢六国门客 征旗猎猎 残阳如火
Ascending the throne in youth at the beginning, how much chaos I’ve subdued
Heaven and earth have since opened wide
Winning advisors from the six kingdoms, my battle standards flew, the sunset blazed like fire
到东南北把所向皆破 笑松柏歌
自三皇五帝的辉煌山河
天下一国
East, south, northern fronts I’ve broken them all, delighting in the songs amid conifers
Descended from the legendary sovereigns, a glorious land
United in a single realm
Watching the shadows of steppe horses dance in the northern winds
Fighting men at the borders wasting their lives up in arms, what fruitless chore
How many hardships and perils I’ve come to vanquish
Quick storms and icy clouds forged a great dragon in slumber
The agony of every brick, every stone, I only hope each find the place they belong
要把过去不曾可得的 一一渐次撷获
法度量衡笔下风云何须太多
文伦一统与子同仇的方称泱泱大国
The things denied me in the past, one by one I’ll retrieve them all
Laws, metrics, differences under the brush, why the need for more
Language and morals aligned as one with the sovereign, only can it be rightfully called a great empire
易水风曾吹悲歌 击筑也听得
迷离博浪卷风波
对月举杯踱
苦心或许 亦有偏颇
Winds by Yi River once carried an elegy, zither strikes too it has heard
Mysteries at Bo Lang stirred up waves and storms
Raising my cup to the moon in contemplation
My efforts may have had their transgressions
说什么天河守心荧惑 得谁知我
巡游罢天下知各得阡陌
勒功铭刻
What’s the say about the Celestial River protecting one’s heart and illuminating doubts, who truly understands me
Having paraded the world under heaven, knowing each get their just share
My legacy carved forever in history
风轻雨歇时 烛光正落寞
似岁月苍凉一抹
转眼的闪烁 作一生浮沉
苦跋涉
When winds quiet and rains recede, candlelights languished in solitude
Just like a bleak stroke of the passing years
A flicker of time, made the ebbs and flows of my life
A harrowing journey
比缥缈传说却又不得 万世山河
长夜中回望 心中又何憾 任后人说
Rivaling myths and legends, yet never to get an everlasting regime
Looking back in the night, what regrets can I hold, let the living judge
***
Translator's notes:
Sit back and buckle up guys, cause you're in for a ride.
Yeah, this song is about their boss, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di. It is said because all the skilled craftsmen (the best in the realm) were executed after work on the mausoleum was completed, the history of art in China had been changed drastically. If you look at the art work just one dynasty later (Han dynasty), the style veered away from the stunning realism seen in the teracotta army.
Another famous tourist attraction: the Great Wall of China. Qin Shi Huang was the one who built the first of its walls. There were folk tales told about the wall, about a woman, Meng Jiang Nü (孟姜女), travelling to the border to deliver winter clothing for her husband, conscripted as a punishment for some minor offense. After an arduous journey, she arrived at her husband's work site, only to find out that he had died building the tyrant's wall, and his remains buried at the foot of the wall. "You wouldn't be able to find him," the other laborers consoled her and urged her to return home. Her grieving cries collapsed eight hundred li of the wall. Amid the rubble, her husband's remains revealed themselves, a show of kindness from the heavens.
If you remember another song in this Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) album, Farewell by Yi River (or an alternative translation can be "Yi River Chant"), this is the villain in that story, the one whom Jing Ke, followed later by Gao Jian Li, tried to assassinate.
Of course, Qin Shi Huang wasn't a one-dimensional tyrant whose sole purpose is to play the bad guy and inflict misery. If he could speak today, he'd have much to say about his circumstances and difficulties. After all, he hadn't choose to be born into such a perilous position. I'll leave his life story, that scorching blaze that left its mark in history more than two thousand years after his death, in my next post.
作詞//Lyrics：蘇軾 (Su Shi)
作曲/編曲/海報手繪/題字//Composer/Arrangement/Poster art and calligraphy：Winky詩（特邀）[Winky Shi (specially requested)]
演唱/和聲//Vocals/Harmony：5ive_years（特邀）
後期//Post-production：洋蔥 (Yang Cong / Onion)
視頻//Video：秦七 (Qin Qi)
The great river runs east, waves washing thorough, all the figures of history.
West of the ancient fort, they say, was Zhou Yu’s Red Cliff, of the Three Kingdoms.
Riotous rocks pierce the sky, shocked waves slam unto the banks, propelling a thousand stacks of snow.
A scenic land, once held how many valiant heroes.
遙想公瑾當年，小喬初嫁了，
雄姿英發。
羽扇綸巾，
談笑間，檣櫓灰飛煙滅。
故國神遊，
多情應笑我，早生華髮。
人生如夢，
一尊還酹江月。
Think of Gong Jin that bygone year, to him Xiao Qiao’s newly wedded,
A handsome figure in his prime.
With a feather fan and silken headscarf,
Amid laughter and casual talks -- ship masts, oars disappeared in flying ash and smoke!
In a trance I wandered this ancient site,
My sentimentality a jest to me, my hair grays before its time.
Life’s akin to a dream,
A cup of wine I offer as libation to the rivers and moon.
-- Poem by Su Shi, or Su Dongpo
*****
Translator's note:
About the poet - Su Shi, of the Song Dynasty (1031-1101 AD)
I shall one day dedicate lots of words for my homie the great poet and literary giant Su Shi (苏轼 or 苏东坡; pronounced like “Soo-sher”, not the Japanese dish). To put it simply, I think he’s the physical embodiment of awesome. Just all around a person with integrity, sincerity, good-will, talent, resilience, wisdom, and best of all a killer sense of humor. I’m planning to translate another song featuring him in the next few posts, so I’ll leave the fangirling for another day.
For context, Su Shi wrote this poem during his exile/demotion. He had been at the top of the game once, a high official, a literary superstar -- he used to have everything. However, his strong political opinions spurred his enemies to accuse him of writing inflammatory poems targeting the emperor at the time, Emperor Shenzong of Song. Su Shi was then demoted and exiled to Huangzhou after nearly escaping execution. He became buddies with the local officials (yeah this guy made friends absolutely everywhere, even with people who were supposed to give him a hard time), but still the setback cast its gloom over his head. (Exile life is not very fun guys. It is only made less shitty because he’s an awesome person and people wanna help him.) Slowly, he broadened his perspective on life and success, and attained peace with his lot in life (thriving all the way even!). During his trip to the Red Cliff in Huangzhou (not the historically accurate one, he knew, but folks called it so), he was inspired to write this masterpiece. Today, the Red Cliff in Huangzhou is known as Dongpo’s Red Cliff.
About the translation
This is my first serious attempt at translating classical poetry, one that I absolutely love to bits and sends chills down my spine for its pure distilled epicness. The aesthetic of the poem can never be fully translated into another language, with its linguistic and cultural nuances. It’s like I am converting a 720p HD video into 240p. But hey, at least there’s something.
For this project, I did refer to multiple existing translations, some really well done (you can search it easily on Google, there’s loads; but still I can’t resist to try it out myself). It is my rendition of it, and I styled it in the way where it flows with the song in the video, as contrast to the approach of stylizing it in the form of English poetry.
念奴嬌 (Nian Nu Jiao) is the name of the tune. This form of poem is called “ci” (词), which can be translated to “lyrics”. In the Song Dynasty, cultured people liked to write poems that could be sung with certain tunes, so you can have hundreds of “念奴嬌” but all with different lyrics. The true title for this piece specifically is “赤壁懷古” -- "Musings on the Red Cliff".
“Propelling a thousand stacks of snow” is a somewhat literal translation of the line "卷起千堆雪", but it actually refers to snow-like foams when waves hit the banks.
The Battle of the Red Cliff (208 AD) and Zhou Yu (175-210 AD)
Zhou Yu (周瑜；周郎 in the original text, “郎” means young man, usually used with positive connotations), courtesy name Gong Jin, a young general serving the soon-to-be state of Wu during the three kingdoms. He was the commander who won the ultimate battle of the Red Cliff against Cao Cao’s numerically superior army. Zhou sent boats full of ignited flammables towards the enemy fleet, whose ships were chained together to provide stability for the northmen, more comfortable on horseback than on water. The resulting fire decimated the northern force, and never ever again could Cao Cao mount a large-scale invasion down south.
Xiao Qiao was a renowned beauty during the Three Kingdoms, who, as implied in the poem, became Zhou Yu’s wife. Though by the time of the battle of the Red Cliff, she’s already been wedded for many years. The statement that she was newly wedded to Zhou was for artistic purposes, to accentuate the perfection of our hero at that very moment, a refined gentleman with a romantic side, yet still demonstrates exceptional prowess on the battlefield.
All that glory and fame, all disappeared in a glimpse of time, like the ship masts and oars of Cao Cao’s burning fleets, stories of the myriad players in history run by like the endless flow of the great Yangtze river.
作曲/编曲//Composer/Arrangement：悠悠酱 (You You Jiang)
作词//Lyrics：冉语优 (Ran Yu You)
原唱//Original vocalist：星尘 (Stardust - VOCALOID)
翻唱//Cover：三无Marblue (San Wu Marblue)
笛子//Flute：囚牛 (Qiu Niu)
视频//PV：柠檬七喜【麻薯映像】(Ning Meng Qi Xi [Mochi Pictures])
曲绘//Art：白鄔東 (Bai Wu Dong)
*****
There was once a young prince from the kingdom of Western Yan. His name was Murong Chong, nicknamed “Phoenix”. His extraordinarily good looks aside, Murong Chong was destined to become a vicious warrior and claim the title of emperor himself. He succeeded in bringing down the enemy, the one who destroyed his father’s kingdom, his life, and his dignity. Emperor Fu Jian. That would happen after an unthinkable fate befell him. He had only been twelve years of age. *** “A shame. A shame.” The emperor shook his head.
“My lord is merciful, as always.”
He paused and turned to his advisor, then replied with a pensive smile, “I really like the boy.”
The emperor looked upon his imperial courtyard. “Only perches of parosal branches and feasts of bamboo fruits befit a phoenix. That, I can give him.”
***
“Mercy.” Against the inferno within the city wall, fueled by a single-minded, rabid hatred, the Phoenix couldn’t keep down his snarling grin. “To hell with your mercy.”
*****
清辉映着深堂
风月入酒一觞
有人已经与我饮畅
却还要我当纵马白衣少年郎
Luminescence bright within halls deep
By the winds and moon a wine flagon come
There’s one who’s drank liberally with me
Yet expect me to remain that dashing youth in white
残棋停在掌上
死局欲盖弥彰
有人故作眉眼疏狂
与我交过手 与我留过伤
却想求个美满收场
Leftover chess pieces stalled in my palms
This stalemate can no longer be disguised
There’s one who acts the cavalier one
Crossed arms with me, wounded me
And dared wish for a perfect end
谯鼓响烽烟茫茫 剑影刀光
阴谋阳谋影影幢幢
这生死场上
有谁真愿谁无恙
Drums beaten, smoke risen, flashes of blades and swords
Schemes, conspiracies, their shadows menacing
Upon this field of life and death
Who truly wishes well of another
兴许青竹早凋 碧梧已僵
人事本难防
只在旧时旧日大梦了一场
Perhaps just as green bamboos wither, and young parasols stiffen
Human affairs had always been capricious
But leave us only a grand dream of the past
从此天各一方 各自怀想
不如两相忘
非黄泉路上此生王不见王
Thereafter in our own corners of the world, harboring our own thoughts
Better it is to forget one another
If it’s not on the journey underworld, kings in life shall never see eye to eye
一夜长安冷雨
几声马蹄彷徨
烽火长燃撞破天光
只拂一拂袖挥别了当年模样
A nightlong cold rain in Chang’an
With a few hesitant hoof beats
Raging war fires broke into the sky
Simply with a wave of my sleeves I’ve parted with my past self
千里江山入眼 谁不志在四方
行到水穷不曾回望
吟鞭断流水也能断情长
前尘往事何必思量
Thousand miles before one’s eyes, who wouldn’t aspire to claim
Never will I look back even when all is lost
Your whips can break the river’s flow, so too can it break your incessant bonds
Why weigh over things of the past
纵然是斯人已去 天地纵广
转眼又成几家沙场
夜半听楼角
纵马迎天光凄怆
Even if that person is gone, even if lands stretch far and wide
At the blink of an eye how many battlegrounds are made
I listened by the tower corner in the midst of night
And whirled my horse to meet daylight in sorrow
兴许青竹早凋 碧梧已僵
人事本难防
只在旧时旧日大梦了一场
Perhaps just as green bamboos wither, and young parasols stiffen
Human affairs had always been capricious
But leave us only a grand dream of the past
从此天各一方 各自怀想
不如两相忘
非黄泉路上此生王不见王
Thereafter in our own corners of the world, harboring our own thoughts
Better it is to forget one another
If it’s not on the journey underworld, kings in life shall never see eye to eye
贪痴疏狂暗自滋长
变了当年模样
相视一望 近乎咫尺 远在山岗
Greed, obsessions, unrestrained madness, grew in stealth
I’m changed from who I was those years
Our eyes met, though seeming at arms length, yet far as mountain ranges
语息温凉 吞吐如霜
化在你眉睫上
生死一念算过场 冷不防
The heat of my breath, like frosty drafts of mist
Dissipated upon your brows
Having spared you a passing thought we've had our go, utterly unforeseeable
三千铁衣披霜 万籁绝响
举目是残阳
回首剑拔弩张箭已在弦上
Three thousand hardened armor, an unrivaled symphony to behold
I lift my eyes to the setting sun
Looking behind, swords brandished and bows drawn, the arrow’s notched onto the string
耳畔江海有声山河无量
呼万寿无疆
却无人共看这人间多荒唐
To hear the voices of rivers, seas, and the infinite lands
Hail “long live the king”
But none to witness with me, the absurdities of this world
却无人共看这人间多荒唐
But none to witness with me, the absurdities of this world
*****
Translator's note:
This took me literally months to work with. Of course, it wasn't all continuous, rather what happen is that I often cannot decide on how I want to interpret the lyrics, and I find myself putting it away and promising that I'll come back to it. It'd be a shame if I just dropped this, so I figured I'd just put it out there and hope for the best.
One big factor is the nature of the story behind the song. Our main characters here are Fu Jian and Murong Chong from the Period of the Sixteen States, sung from Murong's POV. The summary is that Emperor Fu Jian invaded and destroyed Western Yan (ruled by the ethnic minority, Xianbei), capturing the young prince, Murong Chong, twelve at the time, and his fourteen-year-old sister Princess Qing He. Fu Jian was known to be a benevolent ruler, so he spared the lives of the Xianbei aristocracy and absorbed the elites into his bureaucracy. However, he took the two fair-faced royal children as consorts and lavished all his attention on them. So yes, child sexual exploitation. There were even songs going around about the emperor's two new favorites, so it was basically public knowledge.
Eventually when Murong Chong grew older, the emperor's advisor urged him to let Murong out of the capital, a decision he'd come to regret. When Emperor Fu Jian left for a campaign (previously boasting "we have such a huge army, the whips of my men is enough to choke their rivers"), Murong's relatives, and the Phoenix himself, sparked a rebellion that eventually forced Emperor Fu Jian to abandon his capital and run for his life. His attempt to beg mercy by sending a coat to Murong Chong during the siege, reminding the youth of his supposed kindness in the past, only infuriated him further. It's said that after conquering the capital, so deep was his vengeance and wrath, Murong Chong massacred its inhabitants for days.
The inherent ambiguity of the lyrics sparked lots of debates in the original Bilibili video. Some argued that the lyrics suggest amorous feelings between the two (the frequent lack of subject pronouns - "you", "I" in these classic-esque lyrics don't help) , but the backstory posted by the producers doesn't seem to suggest that was their intention, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Plus, I think its a good song, and it was because of this I'd come to learn this chapter in history. The Sixteen States period is for me, obscure and confusing, because, you know, sixteen freaking states. A lot of them involve minority tribes (including our two MCs), so it gets even more complicated.
I've wrestled with the title for a long time and decided to settle on just "Phoenix". If you take the words apart it means "rest" or "perch" (栖） and "phoenix" (凰). Put together, it is a homophone to "凄惶", which sorta means panicking and feeling lost. I can't think of a way to make it work (unlike "Farewell by Yi River", if translated more literally means "Yi River chant"). "Restive Phoenix" was a likely candidate, but I didn't think it was all that suitable.
It is all thanks to those who provided the story backgrounds, gave their interpretation and opinions in comment sections and independent essays. It has helped me tremendously.
So here's my conclusion. A song about an unadulterated hatred, and the tragedy of a life forever tainted by the indolent dark natures of mankind.
New buds sprouted yet again upon withered peach branches
Up upon the mountains whose apparition has vanished
Deep lake waters reflecting the sky’s dusky glow
The wind chimes in my hands creaked ever so softly
Riding upon my sword aloft, with trees shedding their magnificent petals
Across the pond came a song in the howling wind
紫衣青衫打马归家
路遇伊人面似桃花
从此两心长牵挂
咫尺天涯
谁的思念还未倾塌
In a scholar’s robe and dark overcoats I rode on my journey home
And met the one with looks charming as peach blossoms
Since then two hearts forever tied to each other
Through an unbreachable distance
Whose longings have not crumbled?
风过叶落飞沙
火光灼伤桃花
纸鸢上蝴蝶还恋着她
刀剑下一影潇洒
Winds pass with falling leaves and flying sand
And flames has scorched the peach blossoms
The butterfly on my kite misses her still
Beneath swords and blades was a shadow of grace
柳絮纷飞飘下
仿若漫天雪花
斜阳下你红晕的脸颊
红尘中生死无话
Willow catkins drifted down in flurries
Like scattered snowflakes across the sky
Under the setting sun, the flush of your cheeks
Left me wordless in mortals dust
萤舞唤夜赏落花
月光下谁隔着爱无涯
三月春风点醒桃花
远方谁轻声吟着蒹葭
万里山川独恋你眉砂
梦回中 恩怨皆放下
Dancing fireflies invited a scenery of fallen flowers
Under the moonlight, who is isolated from a boundless love
Spring breezes in March has awoken peach blossoms
Afar, who gently sings that poem on lush reeds
Thousands of mountains and valley, and I only miss the cinnabar dot between your brows
In the wake of my dreams, I lay down all past afflictions
遥记当年打马归家
路遇伊人面似桃花
从此两心长牵挂
咫尺天涯
谁的誓言还未倾塌
I remember that year I rode on my journey home
And met the one with looks as charming as peach blossoms
Since then two hearts forever tied to each other
Through an unbreachable distance
Whose oath has yet to crumble?
风过叶落飞沙
火光灼伤桃花
纸鸢上蝴蝶还恋着她
刀剑下一影潇洒
Winds pass with falling leaves and flying sand
And flames has scorched the peach blossoms
The butterfly on my kite misses her still
Beneath swords and blades was a shadow of grace
柳絮纷飞飘下
仿若漫天雪花
斜阳下你红晕的脸颊
红尘中生死无话
Willow catkins drifted down in flurries
Like scattered snowflakes across the sky
Under the setting sun, the flush of your cheeks
Left me wordless in mortals dust
纸鸢上蝴蝶还恋着她
刀剑下一影潇洒
The butterfly on my kite misses her still
Beneath swords and blades was a shadow of grace
柳絮纷飞飘下
仿若漫天雪花
斜阳下你红晕的脸颊
红尘中生死无话
Willow catkins drifted down in flurries
Like scattered snowflakes across the sky
Under the setting sun, the flush of your cheeks
Left me wordless in mortals dust
***
Translator's note:
As far as I know there isn't an official story for this, but a general theme of romance in a Wuxia/Xianxia world (well, there's the thing about riding a flying sword in the lyrics, so I guess Xianxia is more accurate).
As usual, some parts of my translation isn't entirely exact. For one, I often omit special names (e.g. location names) to make it less clunky.
Another example: "紫衣青衫" literally translate to "purple and green clothes". Purple clothes, or black in some translations, is associated with status, especially court officials; whereas green clothes stand to mean peasantry or scholar's robe (and I get the impression that it should be a subdued green, or gray-green). Therefore, I weighed my options and came up with the translation above, instead of giving the impression that the guy's dressed like an aubergine. Not the mood I'm going for.
The "poem on lush reeds" is actually referencing a piece from "Classics of Poetry" (诗经), the oldest known compilation of poems which originated all the way to the Zhou Dynasty (before Qin Shi Huang Di and his happy book burning shenanigans). The poem is titled "Reeds" (蒹葭), and in short it's about a person pursuing their lover despite the difficulties of the journey. I found this translation (not mine!) in case you're interested.
