Lyrics of Love, Lust, and Longing: Selected Poetry from Song Dynasty China
How did people in medieval China speak about heartbreak? Why did male poets write from a female perspective? This collection of ci (song lyrics) by poets of the Northern Song Dynasty showcases the colourful imagery and vibrant emotion of the ci tradition.
木蘭花 · 池塘水綠風微暖
To the tune "Magnolia Flower"—"The water in the pond is green
南歌子 · 鳳髻金泥帶
To the tune "Southland Song"—"Phoenix-like bun and gold-pleated ribbon
一剪梅 · 紅藕香殘玉簟秋
To the tune “A Single Cutting of Plum Blossom”—“The red lotus fragrance still lingered”
永遇樂 · 明月如霜
To the tune “Always Encountering Joy”—“The moon shines so brightly”
菩薩蠻 · 相逢欲話相思苦
To the tune “Bodhisattva Barbarians”—“When I met her, I wanted to tell her about my affliction with lovesickness”
過澗歇近 · 酒醒
To the tune “Cross the Stream and Rest Nearby”—“Sobered up”
醉花陰 · 薄霧濃雰愁永晝
To the tune “Drunk under the Shadow of Flowers”—"In thin fog and heavy mist
臨江仙 · 柳外輕雷池上雨
To the tune “Immortal by the River”—"Beyond the willows there is light thunder
玉蝴蝶 · 誤入平康小巷
To the tune “Jade Butterfly”—“By mistake, I enter a narrow alley in the Pingkang Ward”
玉樓春 · 當年信道情無價
To the tune “Jade Tower in Spring”—“Back then, I believed that love was priceless”
晝夜樂 · 洞房記得初相遇
To the tune “Joys of Day and Night”—“I remember the day we first met in the bedroom”
木蘭花 · 小蓮未解論心素
To the tune “Magnolia Flower”—“Xiaolian has yet to learn to unravel her heart’s tangled feelings”
鹊踏枝 · 檻菊愁煙蘭泣露
To the tune “Magpie Treads the Branch”—"Chrysanthemums by the railings wilt in the mist
留春令 · 畫屏天畔
To the tune “Making the Spring Stay”—“The scene on the painted screen resembles the place”
鳳凰臺上憶吹簫 · 香冷金猊
To the tune “On Top of the Phoenix Terrace, Recalling Flute Music”—"The incense chills in the golden lion
鷓鴣天 · 手撚香箋憶小蓮
To the tune “Partridge in the Sky”—“Holding the fragrant paper in my hand”
鷓鴣天 · 彩袖殷勤捧玉鐘
To the tune “Partridge in the Sky”—“Your colorful sleeves held the jade cup with affection”
採桑子 · 西樓月下當時見
To the tune “Picking Mulberries”—“Back then I met with her in the western building”
採桑子 · 別來長憶西樓事
To the tune “Picking Mulberries”—“Since we parted, I often recall the time in the western building”
江神子 · 乙卯正月二十日夜記夢
To the tune “River God”—Recording a Dream on the Night of the Twentieth of the First Month of 1075 CE
六麼令 · 綠陰春盡
To the tune “Six Beats”—“Green shades of the trees mark the end of spring”
洞仙歌 · 冰肌玉骨
To the tune “Song of the Immortal in the Grotto”—Skin of Ice and Bones of Jade
南歌子 · 天上星河轉
To the tune “Southland Song”—“In the sky, the starry river turns”
玉樓春 · 湖邊柳外樓高處
To the tune “Spring in the Jade Building”—“In a tall building behind the willows by the lakeside”
玉春樓 · 別後不知君遠近
To the tune “Spring in the Jade Building”—“Since we parted I do not know how far away you are”
锦堂春 · 墜髻慵梳
To the tune “Spring of the Brocade Hall”—“Drooping hair-bun, I am too listless to comb it”
定風波 · 自春來
To the tune “Still Wind and Waves”—“Since the spring came”
駐馬聽 · 鳳枕鸞帷
“Stop Your Horse and Listen”—“Phoenix pillows and curtains”
擊梧桐 · 香靨深深
To the tune “Strike the Parasol Tree”—“Her deep dimples are fragrantly powdered”
臨江仙 · 夢後樓臺高鎖
To the tune “The Immortal by the River”—“When I wake up from the dream”
西江月 · 梅花
To the tune “The Moon Over the West River”—Plum Blossom
添字醜奴兒 · 窗前誰種芭蕉樹
To the tune “Vile Charmer, Long Version”—"Who planted the banana trees in front of the window
浪淘沙 · 夢覺
To the tune “Waves Scour the Sand”—“I wake from a dream”
山亭柳 · 贈歌者
To the tune “Willows by the Mountain Pavilion”—To a singer
清平樂 · 留人不住
To the tune ”Qingping Music”—”I could not make him stay”