Chinese 323 Drinking (3)

Catherine's Selection:

Li Bai/Li Po (701-762)

"Parting at a Wine-Shop in Nan-King"

 

A wind, bringing willow-cotton, sweetens the shop,

And a girl from Wu, pouring wine, urges me to share it.

With my comrades of the city who are here to see me off;

And as each of them drains his cup, I say to him in parting,

Oh, go ask this river running to the east

If it can travel farther than a friend's love.

 

(Witter Bynner, tr., in Three Hundred Poem of the T'ang Dynasty, or T'ang Shih San Pai Shou/Tangshi sanbaishou, p. 66.)

 

While I usually try not to question existing translations for the purpose of our course, I wish to make exception in this case, because of the absence of a few interesting ideas in the Bynner translation. Here we go:

"Parting at a Wineshop in Jinling"

 

Wind blows on willow catkins, filling the shop with sweetness,

A girl from Wu strains wine, and invites her guests to taset.

Friends and pupils in Jinling come to see me off,

I am about to leave, but don't want to leave. We all drain our cups.

Ask the river that runs to the east,

If it is longer than the friendship at parting.

 

Travis' Selection:

Li Bai/Li Po (701-762)

"A Night with a Friend"

 

Dousing clean a thousand old cares,

sticking it out through a hundred pots of wine,

a good night needing the best of conversation,

a brilliant moon that will not let us sleep--

drunk we lie down in empty hills,

heaven and earth our quilt and pillow.

 

(Burton Watson, The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry, p. 212.)

 

Adeline's Selection:

(This poem was included in the handout for the Monday class, though in a different translation. It's good that we have this poem back, since we did not have time to talk about it. If any of you feel that reading both versions might lead us to interesting discussion, do it.)

Li Bai/Li Po (701-762)

"Bring In the Wine"

 

Look there!

The waters of the Yellow River

coming down from Heaven,

rush in their flow to the sea,

never turn back again.

Look there!

Bright in the mirrors of mighty halls

a grieving for white hair,

this morning blue-black strands of silk,

and now with evening turned to snow.

For satisfaction in this life

taste pleasure to the limit,

And never let a goblet of gold

face the bright moon empty.

Heaven bred in me talents,

and they must be put to use.

I toss away a thousand in gold,

it comes right back to me.

So boil a sheep,

butcher an ox,

make merry for a while,

And when you sit yourselves to drink, always

down three hundred cups.

Hey, Master Cen,

He, Dan-qiu,

Bring in the wine!

Keep the cups coming!

And I, I'll sing you a song,

Lend me your ears and take heed--

The bells and drums, the tasty morsels,

these are not what I love--

All I want is to stay dead drunk

and never sober up.

Sages and worthies of ancient days

lie silent now forever,

And only the greatest drinkers

have a fame that lingers on!

Once long ago

the Prince of Chen

held a party in Ping-le Lodge.

A gallon of wine cost ten thousand cash,

all the joy and laughter they pleased.

So you, my host,

How can you tell me you're short on cash?

Go right out!

Buy us some wine!

And I'll do the pouring for you!

Then take my dappled horse,

take my furs worth a fortune,

Just call for the boy to get them,

and trade them for lovely wine,

And here together we'll melt the sorrows

of all eternity!

 

(Stephen Owen, An Anthology of Chinese Literature, p. 284.)

 

Valerie's Selection:

Han Yu (768-824)

"Drunk, to Zhang Shu of the Imperial Library"

 

Others always insist that I drink;

I act like I do not hear;

yet coming to your house today,

I call for the wine and urge it on you.

The reason--these guests at your table,

and I as well, can write with skill.

 

Your own poetry is filled with charms:

clouds billowing through spring skies.

Meng Jiao always shocks the common:

Heaven's bloom emitting outlandish bouquet.

Zhang Ji works at antique clarity:

crane on a coach, shunning common flocks.

A-mai doesn't know his characters,

but has outstanding grasp of archaic script:

we let him copy each poem we make,

and he too serves to augment my troops.

These are the reasons I wished to get wine,

awaiting its glow in order to write.

 

The wine's flavor is biting,

the wine's force swells in the blood.

Our mood grows gradually loose and free,

Banter and laughter abounding.

Herein the true sense of wine is fulfilled--

all else but this is mere muddle.

All wealthy young men of Chang-an

have rich-smelling meat and garlic served;

but they don't grasp literate drinking,

skilled only in getting red-skirted courtesans drunk.

Although they may find a moment's pleasure,

they're a bit like a crowd of mosquitoes.

 

I and these various others today

have nothing rank in our sweetness.

Our daring diction daunts demons' courage;

magnificent phrases consort with Canons.

These most perfect jewels are not engraved;

they are spirit-work, spurning all tending.

We are entering now an age of great peace,

men of talent aid a ruler like Shun or Yao.

Our sort are lucky to have no concerns--

may we go on like this from dawn to dusk!

 

(Stephen Owen, An Anthology of Chinese Literature, p. 287-8.)

 

Kelley's Selction:

Bai Juyi/Po Chü-i (772-846)

"Rejoicing at the Arrival of Chen Xiong"

 

When the yellow bird's note was almost stopped;

And half formed the green plum's fruit;

Sitting and grieving that spring things were over,

I rose and entered the Eastern Garden's gate.

I carried my cup and was dully drinking alone:

Suddenly I heard sound at the door.

Dwelling secluded, I was glad that someone had come;

How much the more, when I saw it was Chen Xiong!

At ease and leisure,--all day we talked;

Crowding and jostling, the feelings of many years.

How great a thing is a single cup of wine!

For it makes us tell the story of our whole lives.

 

(Arthur Waley, One Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, pp.118-9.)

 

Heidi's Selction:

Lu You/Lu Yu (1125-1210)

"Drunk Song"

 

Old boatman unsteps the mast, brakes it against green rocks;

drops of water pock the sandy shore, foot after foot of stains.

Autumn's gone but here by the Yangtze no foliage whithers or falls;

oak leaves are thick and shiny, maple leaves red.

Men of chu from times past have had many sorrows;

even now, songs they sing walking the road bring a twinge of pain.

Wild flowers blue and purple -- gather them by the fistful;

valley fruit green and red -- now just right for picking.

On the way I found some wine, watery but still not bad;

at river's edge, getting drunk as I please, no regret in the world.

A thousand years of history's ups and downs here before my eyes;

this great bustling border, the river, soaked in evening hues.

A hungry swan, wings drooping, skims over the boat;

in its heart it too must feel the same sadness as I.

Three times I thump the gunwale, can't shake this depression off!

The moon brightens -- now it shines on my crooked crow-black hat.

 

Another Selection by Valerie:

Gao Qi/Kao Ch'i (1336-1374)

"Inviting a Friend To Go Out for an Excursion"

 

Impressible melancholy of springóand dragging idleness.

I want so much to go out beyond the West Gate and see the lovely hills.

I address myself to my drinking friends, seeking a companion in wine.

One tankard and weíll be drunk, ëmidst the blossoming apricot trees.

 

(F. W. Mote, The Poet Kao Ch'i, p. 133.)