In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

The Songs 63 And speak frankly to him, and make him answer me. Ah! How helpless I am! Here I am resting on my pillow, dreaming ... Had I not been wakened from my dream, I would have flown away with you. SongS Thoughts Arise Thoughts. Thoughts. My thoughts arise; And thinking, I stifle my sorrow. I cannot bear to speak about that fickle lover. When first we met, he swore his heart would never change; That our love would be as enduring as the universe; that we would share our destiny. I was sure I had made no mistake in choosing you, so handsome and talented; But you thought nothing of casting me aside. And wasted now are those days when I used to cherish you in my heart. Today I grieve for my lonely life. I dare not complain about your lack of virtue. You were willing to part with me, 'an exquisite flower in the Laurel Garden'; but why must ne'er-do-wells and wastrels snap my branches?lO 10 It was believed during the Tong dynasty (618-907) that a laurel tree grew in the moon. During the Sung dynasty (960-1279) it was said that a tree sacred to the memory of the Buddha's birth and death was identical with the laurel tree in the moon: As this 'tree' was especially visible at mid-autumn, the ninth day of the ninth month, when the examination for Provincial Graduate (~A, Gui Yan) was held, getting one's degree was referred to as 'breaking off a branch from the laurel tree'. Successful candidates were readily acceptable and accepted as bridegrooms . In this song, the line suggests: 'If I am as exquisite and precious as the laurel tree, only distinguished men of learning should snap my branch. Not every Torn, Dick and Harry who happens to feel the urge.' (See also Song 11 (Part 2), line 6. Mayers, # 300.) It is hard to know how best translate the Chinese character 1'1 , gwai. Chinese /English dictionaries give 'cassia'. And in English/Chinese dictionaries 'cassia' is translated as: the gwai tree in the moon. But when you look up, for example, the Oxford English Dictionary under 'cassia', you will find that 'cassia' refers to The Songs 63 And speak frankly to him, and make him answer me. Ah! How helpless I am! Here I am resting on my pillow, dreaming ... Had I not been wakened from my dream, I would have flown away with you. SongS Thoughts Arise Thoughts. Thoughts. My thoughts arise; And thinking, I stifle my sorrow. I cannot bear to speak about that fickle lover. When first we met, he swore his heart would never change; That our love would be as enduring as the universe; that we would share our destiny. I was sure I had made no mistake in choosing you, so handsome and talented; But you thought nothing of casting me aside. And wasted now are those days when I used to cherish you in my heart. Today I grieve for my lonely life. I dare not complain about your lack of virtue. You were willing to part with me, 'an exquisite flower in the Laurel Garden'; but why must ne'er-do-wells and wastrels snap my branches?lO 10 It was believed during the Tong dynasty (618-907) that a laurel tree grew in the moon. During the Sung dynasty (960-1279) it was said that a tree sacred to the memory of the Buddha's birth and death was identical with the laurel tree in the moon: As this 'tree' was especially visible at mid-autumn, the ninth day of the ninth month, when the examination for Provincial Graduate (~A, Gui Yan) was held, getting one's degree was referred to as 'breaking off a branch from the laurel tree'. Successful candidates were readily acceptable and accepted as bridegrooms . In this song, the line suggests: 'If I am as exquisite and precious as the laurel tree, only distinguished men of learning should snap my branch. Not every Torn, Dick and Harry who happens to feel the urge.' (See also Song 11 (Part 2), line 6. Mayers, # 300.) It is hard to know how best translate the Chinese character 1'1 , gwai. Chinese /English dictionaries give 'cassia'. And in English/Chinese dictionaries 'cassia' is translated as: the gwai tree in the moon. But when you look up, for example, the Oxford English Dictionary under 'cassia', you will find that 'cassia...

Share