[updated September 2022]
Send As a Gift to Zhao Huizhi, Young Servant Plays Her Bamboo Flute: (Water Dragon Chants)
赠 赵 晦 之 吹 笛 侍 儿： 水 龙 吟
楚 山 修 竹 如 云
异 材 秀 出 千 林 表。
龙 须 半 剪
凤 膺 微 涨
玉 肌 习 绕。
木 落 淮 南
雨 晴 云 梦
月 明 风 袅。
自 中 郎 不 见
桓 伊 去 后
知 孤 负，秋 多 少。
闻 道 岭 南 太 守
后 堂 深， 绿 珠 娇 小。
绮 窗 学 弄， “梁 州”
初 遍， “霓 裳” 未 了。
嚼 徵 含 宫
泛 商 流 羽
一 声 云 杪。
为 使 君 洗 尽
蛮 风 瘴 雨、
作 “霜 天 晓”。
Zeng Zhao Hui Zhi Chui Di Shi Er: (Shui Long Yin)
Chu shan xiu zhu ru yun
Yi cai xiu chu qian lin biao.
Long xu ban jian
Feng ying wei zhang
Yu ji xi rao.
Mu luo huai nan
Yu qing yun meng
Yue ming feng niao.
Zi zhong lang bu jian
Huan yi chu hou
Zhi gu fu, qiu duo shao.
Wen dao ling nan tai shou
Hou tang shen, lu zhu jiao xiao.
Qi chuang xue nong “Liang Zhou”
Chu bian “Ni Shang” wei liao.
Jiao zhi han gong
Fan shang liu yu
yi sheng yun miao.
Wei shi jun xi jing
Man feng zhang yu
Zuo “Shuang Tian Xiao”.
Send As a Gift to Zhao Huizhi, Young Servant Plays Her Bamboo Flute: (Water Dragon Chants)
Chu mountains adorned with bamboo like clouds
Extraordinarily delicate and pretty, thousands of leaves create the forest’s surface.
Small branches like dragon whiskers, lightly trimmed
Exhaled breath chamber requires a tiny, rising branch, coiled and smooth skin like jade.
After harvesting the bamboo, south of the Huai River is the place, where after the rain
Sunny skies with dreamy clouds and moonlight.
Have the perfect air for graceful flute sounds
Don’t see master flute maker Zhong Lang.
Master flute musician Huan Yi has left
For many years their knowledge and expertise lost.
Heard about Tai Shou, who has returned from Lin Nan
Hiding a young servant girl, a small and delicate flute player
Through damask-covered windows she plays the first section of “Liang Zhou”
And then the final movement of “Ni Shang”.
Her masterful techniques float, flow, merge, and separate
Each sound like from the clouds at the treetops
She and I will wash and purify you from head to toe
To eliminate the fierce winds and malarial rains of Guangxi
Let her play now “Shuang Tian Xiao” so I can compose this poem.
Notes:
Chu mountains: Within the ancient kingdom of Chu, modern-day provinces of Hubei and Hunan, and others.
Huai River: Major river that runs east in between the Yellow River and the Changjiang (Yangzi River).
Zhong Lang: County-level city in northeastern Sichuan Province.
Huan Yi: Army general during the state of Qin (ca. 300-221 BC)
Tai Shou: Official title for governors between 221 BC and 618 AD.
“Liang Zhou”: Famous poem by Wang Zhihua (688-742). He was looking to the west from the Yumen mountain pass near the Yellow River.
Rainbow Skirt song: Famous Tang Dynasty production featuring feathered costumes, music, and elegant dance moves of deities on the moon.
Emperor Xuanzong recreated western China folk tunes for the music, his favorite concubine Yang Guifei wore gorgeous costumes and struck beautiful poses, so it is no wonder that it was his favorite cultural pastime. Videos of music and dance can be seen on the Internet.
Shuang Tian Xiao: Title of a famous melody that means “Frosty Sky at Dawn”.