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

The Songs 121 My lord, if you intend to pity [i.e. have tender affection for] me, it were better for you to begin immediately. If I see you face to face and speak of my heart's bitterness, even death will not worry me. Do not put more obstacles in your way. If our meeting is a minute earlier, my lord, then our parting too will be a minute earlier. Song 47 A Lament for 'Autumn Joyl125 I hear people say you are dead. I cannot believe it. Why did you so foolishly spurn life? If you died for your'guest', I do not blame you; If you died because of your lust-debt, how can I not be grief-stricken and heart-broken? During your life you looked on me as your lover. Therefore you should have spoken to me about it. Why did you not during our two or three months of friendship breathe a word of it to me? You took that passion of earlier days and cast it into the waters. Even if I had more than enough gold and silver paper to burn, it could not reach the king of hell [i.e. the Chinese Pluto].I26 What a pity I rejected you, to make you spend the rest of your life wandering around the houses of entertainment; The regions of mist and flowers [i.e. the houses of entertainment] can bring no satisfaction. You were called 'Autumn Joy'; I hope when autumn returns there will still be joy. Now that the winter solstice is past, why am I oppressed by snow and frost? 125 'Autumn Joy' may have been the mistress of the author of these songs, Jiu Jiyung , and hence this song would be an expression of his own feelings. 126 In Buddhist mythology, the king of hell is Yama, whose name in Chinese is ~*I , Yim Loh. Hell is the prison under the earth where he and his assistants deal with culprits. His wife Yami deals with female culprits. The Songs 121 My lord, if you intend to pity [i.e. have tender affection for] me, it were better for you to begin immediately. If I see you face to face and speak of my heart's bitterness, even death will not worry me. Do not put more obstacles in your way. If our meeting is a minute earlier, my lord, then our parting too will be a minute earlier. Song 47 A Lament for 'Autumn !oy'125 I hear people say you are dead. I cannot believe it. Why did you so foolishly spurn life? If you died for your'guest', I do not blame you; If you died because of your lust-debt, how can I not be grief-stricken and heart-broken? During your life you looked on me as your lover. Therefore you should have spoken to me about it. Why did you not during our two or three months of friendship breathe a word of it to me? You took that passion of earlier days and cast it into the waters. Even if I had more than enough gold and silver paper to burn, it could not reach the king of hell [i.e. the Chinese Pluto].126 What a pity I rejected you, to make you spend the rest of your life wandering around the houses of entertainment; The regions of mist and flowers [i.e. the houses of entertainment] can bring no satisfaction. You were called 'Autumn Joy'; I hope when autumn returns there will still be joy. Now that the winter solstice is past, why am I oppressed by snow and frost? 125 'Autumn Joy' may have been the mistress of the author of these songs, Jiu Jiyung , and hence this song would be an expression of his own feelings. 126 In Buddhist mythology, the king of hell is Yama, whose name in Chinese is ~*1 , Yim Loh. Hell is the prison under the earth where he and his assistants deal with culprits. His wife Yami deals with female culprits. 122 Cantonese Love Songs Today I am as weak as a spring breeze and can do nothing to help you. Fallen flowers without a master [i.e. a protector or lover] are buried in the spring earth. If in the next life your passions dream, send them to me immediately, So that perhaps I can do my best - little though it may be - to console my sweetheart. The path of hell is wide...

Share