Series: Chinese Art Song

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Chinese Poetry (IV): “Song of the Yue Boatman” 越人歌

This entry is part 9 of 35 in the series Chinese Art Song

In the last post, I briefly mentioned “Song of the Yue Boatman”—”Yue-Ren-Ge”—in an endnote. The texts of this “song” was quoted in Chapter 11 of Liu Xiang’s Shuo Yuan, a collection of historical anecdotes.[1] The general title of Chapter 11, Shànshuō 善說, means “eloquent speeches.” The paragraph containing “Song of the Yue Boatman” is a story within a story:[2]

On the day Lord Xiang Chéng was to receive his fief, with splendid clothing and accessories, he stood by the river shore, surrounded by ministers. Provincial officer called out: “Who could cross the river with the Lord?” Chu minister Zhuang Xin, passing by, approached the Lord with admiration and asked: “Would it be all right, if I, your servant, hold your hands?” Angrily, Lord Xiang Chéng did not reply. Zhuang Xin retreated and washed his hands. Then, he returned to say, “Has the Lord never heard of the story of Prince È [ə], Jun Qi, on his boat excursion?”

* * * * * *

Prince Jun Qi, clad in gorgeous garments, sat on a boat decorated with bird-shape carvings, flowers, feathery canopy, and rhino tails. There was music of bells and drums. While resting, the boatman from Yue State held the oar and sang:

“濫兮抃草濫予昌枑澤予昌州州𩜱州焉乎秦胥胥縵予乎昭澶秦踰滲惿隨河湖。”

The Prince said: “I do not understand the song in Yue, would you gentleman explain it to me in Chu?” An interpreter was called. He recited the verses in Chu:

今夕何夕兮，搴舟中流。
What an evening this is, rowing the boat on the river.

今日何日兮，得與王子同舟。
What a day today is, I have the chance to share the same boat with the prince.

蒙羞被好兮，不訾詬恥。
Feeling unworthy of your adoration, yet I am not shamed by the mockeries.

心幾煩而不絕兮，得知王子。
Endless fluctuations in my heart: I made acquaintance with the prince.

山有木兮木有枝，心說君兮君不知。
There are trees on the mountain, and branches on the trees.
my heart desires for the Lord yet the Lord does not know.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jun Qi went up to the boatman, embracing him, wrapping him with embroidered cover.

* * * * * *

Zhuang Xin continued: “Prince È was the King’s younger brother. Lordly and powerful, yet he was willing to share his pleasure with a boatman from Yue. Why was it that you placed yourself above the Prince? Why was it that I could not equate myself to a boatman? Why was it inappropriate that I wished to hold your hands?” Lord Xiang Chéng reached out to Zhuang Xin and promised to always follow his advice.

Widely recognized as the earliest “translated” poem in Chinese history, “Song of the Yue Boatman” has been referenced in many later poems. The text has been the subject of many literary studies. Here, I like to use it an example to show the complexity of Chinese language.

I left the original transliteration of the Yue song as it appeared in Shua Yuan. Although it was written in Han characters, it was intended to be read with Chu sounds and not the Standard Chinese of today. I also did not make any attempt to punctuate the line. When hearing a language for the first time, it is unlikely that one would be able to group the sounds. Isn’t it always the case that we think foreigners all talk really fast? Even though these characters didn’t help with the comprehension of the words, it did record the sounds of the words—for its intended audiences.

Chu, as a spoken language, has been lost. Even its root is uncertain. However, as documented in many historical sources, it was clearly different than the language of the Central Plain. Some believe that it was a branch of the Sinitic linguistic family; others believe that it belongs to Hmong-Mien family, still spoken today in the mountainous regions of southern China.[3]

The territory of Yue State covered the coastal region of southeastern China. Ancient Yue was believed to have been spoken in the States of Yue and Wu. In written form, it was preserved in Yuejueshu, historical records of Yue, in addition to “Song of the Yue Boatman.”[4] Many linguists believe that ancient Yue was related to Zhuang-Tai language, a branch of Kra-Dai family.[5] Based on this concept, Wei Qing-Wen 韋慶穩 and Zhengzhang Shangfang 鄭張尚芳 reconstructed the transliterated characters.[6]

Yet, at least for me, the question remains: The reconstruction was based on Yue sounds. Wasn’t Liu Xiang’s transliteration intended for Chu sounds? At this point, let’s take a moment to imagine what would have happened to Chine culture, if there wasn’t a unified written language.

Shuo Yuan, with its emphasis in ethics and morality, was listed in the Ruism section of Siku Quanshu. Which, in a sense, means that it represents culture of the Central Plain. Nevertheless, it encompassed regional tales, evidence of interchanges of northern and southern cultures. Although “Song of the Yue Boatman” was not an original Chu song, from its translated form, personal and sensuous, we could still discern the characteristics of Chu poetry.

For the 2006 movie “The Banquet,” Tan Dun composed a theme song “Longing in Silence,” based on the translated version of “Yue-Ren-Ge,” sung in Mandarin. A version for piano and voice was written by Liu Qin.[7]

[1] Shuo_Yuan_Wiki
[2] Staying as close as possible with the original texts, my interpretation was not word-for-word. Shuo_Yuan_Shan_Shuo_ctext.org 《劉向·說苑·善說》(繁體中文)
[3] Chu_(state)#Linguistic_influences_Wiki, Sinitic_languages_Wiki
[4] Yue_(state)_Wiki, yuejueshu.html_chinaknowledge.de, 《越絕書》_Wiki_zh-tw (繁體中文)
[5] 壯侗語系_Wiki_zh-tw (繁體中文) , Kra_Dai_Languages_Wiki Tai_languages_Wiki
[6] Zhengzhang_Shangfang_Wiki
“Decipherment of Yue-Ren-Ge (Song of the Yue Boatman),” Zhengzhang Shangfang, C.L.A.O. Vol. XX, winter 1991, No, 2, pp. 159-168. (PDF)
[7] Longing_in_Silence_YouTube Tan Dun, The Banquet, Deutsche Grammophon
Song_of_the_Yue_Boatman_YouTube Yuanlong Li, countertenor, Pulignano, piano.

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Chinese Poetry (V): Han and Jian’an

This entry is part 10 of 35 in the series Chinese Art Song

Han Poetry

The Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) was the longest lasting imperial power in Chinese history. The unification of the nation and the stability of the sovereignty provided a nurturing environment for cultural growth. Rulers of this period were known to be literary lovers, promoting creation and preservation of poetry.

Emerging from the tradition of Chuci 楚辭 was the most prominent genre of Han poetry—fù 賦. As indicated by its name, fù was descriptive and to be recited, instead of sung. Structurally, Han fù was rhymed as verses yet free flowing like proses. Inherited the elaborate vocabulary and ornate style of Chu poetry, Han fù was seminal in the development of narrative poems of later period.[1]

Contrasting to fù, yuèfǔ 樂府 was musical verses in folk style. Its name literally means the “Music Bureau.” Emperor Wu established Yuè-Fǔ, an agency overseeing the curation of ceremonial music at the court and the collection of folk music as means to manifest lives of commoners. [2] The inventory of the bureau as well as verses written in similar style developed into a specific genre known as yuèfǔ.

Praised for their vivid depictions and genuine expressions, yuèfǔ poems were written in plain language. Wordplays such as homophones and alliterations are common attributes in these ballads. There was no fixed length of verses, with most consisted of five characters. In some poems, the verses were of various lengths. To be sung and accompanied by instruments, rhythm and inflection—in other words, metrics—were essential components of yuèfǔ. Although the music of the period did not survive, some of the texts were preserved.

Several representative Han fù and yuèfǔ were included in Wen Xuan 文選, an early-sixth-century literary collection. Along with them were nineteen gushi (“ancient poems”)古詩十九首 from the Han Dynasty. These shi 詩, all of five-character verses, were similar to yuèfǔ in their unpretentious approach but were not intended to be sung. Collectively, these nineteen poems were the forerunners of the fixed length verses.[3]

Jian’an Poetry

The power of the Han Dynasty waned towards the end of the second century. The imperial courts mired by nepotism and power struggles. In 196 AD, the displaced Emperor Xian, safeguarded by Cao Cao 曹操, one of the power seekers and a military commander, established a “new capital” in Xuchang 許昌 and initiated a new regnal era, named Jian’an 建安—“establishing peace.”[4]

In the next twenty-five years, the fates of the state and the people remained in the hand of Cao Cao. Despite of his questionable character, Cao was a great military strategist as well as a prolific poet. He and two of his sons—Cao Pi 曹丕and Cao Zhi 曹植were hailed as the “three Caos” by critics of later periods for their literary contributions. Equally important were works by seven of their contemporaries, known as the “seven masters of Jian’an.”[5]

Stylistically, Jian’an poetry was influenced by yuèfǔ. Five-character verses were the norm. Reflecting the realities of a turbulent time, the poets lamented the fleeting nature of life; documented people’s suffering; declared their political idealism; and expressed their nostalgia for peace time. The writing was deeply personal and passionate.

The influence of Taoism and Buddhism on the one hand freed writers from the ethic confines of Ruism, on the other hand led to words of escapism. Some of poems of Jian’an were otherworldly fantasies or regaling tableaux. The latter provided us with evidence of frequent poetic gatherings at the court.[6]

Cao Cao’s death in March of 220 AD marked the end of the Jian’an era. In December of the same year, Cao Pi dethroned Emperor Xian and established the “Kingdom” of Wei, controlling most of northern China including the Central Plain area. Liu Bei, a remote descendant of the Han court, soon claimed himself to be the legitimate successor of the former Dynasty, ruling the central region. A third state “Wu,” led by Sun Quan, occupied the southeastern part of the land. Thus, began the Period of the Three Kingdoms (220 – 280 AD).[7]

Although the Jian’an era lasted only for a quarter of a century, poems of this period, marked by their multifaceted contents, splendid vocabulary, individualism, and fervent passions, played a significant role in the history of Chinese poetry. They enriched the character of yuèfǔ. They secured the prominence of five-character verses.

[1] Fù was on of the writing devices in Classic of Poetry, referring to the descriptive poems. Hansu, “Treatise on Literature:” “[Poems] recited instead of sung is called fù . . .” 劉勰《文心雕龍．詮賦》：「《詩》有六義，其二曰賦。賦者，鋪也，鋪采摛文，體物寫志也。」; 《漢書‧藝文志》: 「不歌而誦謂之賦。」
Among the greatest fù was “”Fu on the Shanglin Park” 上林賦, a depiction of the hunting excursion of the imperial court, by Sima Xiangru 司馬相如 (c. 179 – 117 BC), the leading writer of the genre. 昭明文選/卷8#上林_賦_Wiki
[2] 《漢書‧禮樂志》:「（武帝）乃立樂府，採詩夜誦，有趙、代、秦、楚之謳，以李延年為協律都尉。」Similar policy, which resulted in the compilation of Classic of Poetry, was carried out in the early Zhou Dynasty.
[3] Compiled by Crown Prince Zhaoming of the Southern Liang Dynasty between 520 and 530 AD, Wen Xuan (“Selected Literature”) was also known as Zhaoming Wen Xuan. Organized by genre and the natures of content, it was held in high regard for both the quantity and the quality of the selections. Wen_Xuan_Wiki Texts of Wen Xuan can be found at 昭明文選_zh.wikisource.org
[4] Chinese_era_name_Wiki
[5] Poetry_of_Cao_Cao_Wiki; 三曹_Wiki_zh-tw (中文繁體); Seven_Scholars_of_Jian’an_Wiki, Jian’an 建安七子: 孔融、陳琳、王粲、徐幹、阮瑀、應瑒、劉楨.
[6] 遊仙詩_zh-tw_Wiki (中文繁體); 昭明文選/卷20#公讌詩_zh.wikisource.org
[7] Three_Kingdoms_Wiki. Wei was the feudal name of the Cao family. Since Wei, Han, Wu are common names of many states throughout Chinese history, the three kingdoms of the early third century were identified as Cao Wei—named after the ruling family, Shu Han-by the region, and Sun Wu—by family name. Although the conflicts among the three kingdoms caused decades of destructions and sufferings, the distinctive personalities of many legendary figures as well as their affairs of this period inspired one of the greatest historical novels, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as numerous theatrical works. Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms_Wiki