[updated October 2022]
Watching Non-Han People Playing Their Flutes
观 胡 人 吹 笛
胡 人 吹 玉 笛
一 半 是 秦 声。
十 月 吴 山 晓
梅 花 落 敬 亭。
愁 闻 出 塞 曲
泪 满 逐 臣 缨。
却 望 长 安 道
空 怀 恋 主 情。
Guan Hu Ren Chui Di
Hu ren chui yu di
Yi ban shi qin sheng.
Shi yue wu shan xiao
Mei hua luo jing ting.
Chou wen chu sai qu
Lei man zhu chen ying.
Que wang chang an dao
Kong huai lian zhu qing.
Watching Non-Han People Playing Their Flutes
Non-Han people play jade flutes
Half of their melodies are Qin palace influenced.
Early October morning near the Wu mountains
Plum blossoms fall down around the Jing pavilion.
Melancholy when listening to songs for those going off to war
Tear-filled eyes wiped with the palace tassel of an exile.
Gaze into the distance, turn around to see the Chang’an road fade away
Empty heart-mind, long for the sensations of the palace life.
Notes:
Qin palace: Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) considered the first imperial
dynasty of China.
Wu Mountains: Located between Hubei Province and the Municipality of Chongqing.