Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute Song 15 Cai Yan
- Poetry of Cai Wenji

《胡笳十八拍·第十五拍》

English Rendering

In my fifteenth song the tempo of the melody quickens,

The spirit which rises in my breast, who understands its song?

I lived in a yurt with the nomads, their customs so different and strange,

I longed to return to my home, and Heaven granted my wish,

My return to China should be enough to gladden my heart.

But my heart is full of memories that feed my ever-deepening sorrow,

The sun and moon are impartial, yet they fail to shine on me.

The thoughts of children and mother separated are hard to bear;

Though the same sky is our canopy, we are like distant constellations,

Not knowing if one or another lives or dies, or where we might find each other.

Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute Song 15 Cai Yan by Cai Wenji
Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute Song 15 Cai Yan by Cai Wenji

Original Text (中文原文)

十五拍兮节调促,气填胸兮谁识曲。

处穹庐兮偶殊俗,愿归来兮天从欲。

再还汉国兮欢心,心有忆兮愁转深。

日月无私兮曾不照临,子母分离兮意难任。

同天隔越兮如商参,生死不相知兮何处寻。

Analysis & Context

The famous guqin piece Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute is traditionally attributed to her, although the authorship is a perennial issue for scholarly debate.

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Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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