A Lute Song
- Poetry of Li Qi

《琴歌》

English Rendering

Our host, providing abundant wine to make the night mellow,

Asks his guest from Yangzhou to play for us on the lute.

Toward the moon that whitens the city-wall, black crows are flying,

Frost is on ten thousand trees, and the wind blows through our clothes;

But a copper stove has added its light to that of flowery candles,

And the lute plays The Green Water, and then The Queen of Chu.

Once it has begun to play, there is no other sound:

A spell is on the banquet, while the stars grow thin....

But three hundred miles from here, in Huai, official duties await him,

And so it's farewell, and the road again, under cloudy mountains.

A Lute Song by Li Qi
A Lute Song by Li Qi

Original Text (中文原文)

主人有酒欢今夕,请奏鸣琴广陵客。

月照城头乌半飞,霜凄万木风入衣。

铜炉华烛烛增辉,初弹渌水后楚妃。

一声已动物皆静,四座无言星欲稀。

清淮奉使千余里,敢告云山从此始。

Analysis & Context

Seven-character-ancient-verse

Composed when the poet was embarking on a thousand-mile diplomatic mission to Qinghuai, this poem captures an elegant farewell banquet where the host arranged zither music to express parting sentiments. Through the imagery of music, the poet conveys gratitude to his host while affirming steadfast commitment to his duty. The work not only depicts the refined atmosphere of the banquet but also expresses profound emotions through musical aesthetics.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

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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