How to Read Chinese Poetry A Guided Anthology

Qu P oe t ry : s ong P oe m s o F tHe y uan Dy na s t y 345

the last line cannot, therefore, be taken as simply a proper noun. It does not mat-
ter whether it is the name of a town or a river—the crystal clarity of the image,
together with the cleanness of the image of the “sky-size paper,” symbolize the
purity, hence chastity, of the persona. The transparency of the two images best
exemplifies the song’s unornamented, colloquial language and its straightforward
tone.
Like Guan Hanqing, Bai Pu (1226–after 1306), the author of the next love song,
was one of the great dramatists of the Yuan. His descriptive song poems are full
of bright colors and fresh images, while those on romantic love are alive with dra-
matic scenes depicted in the language of everyday speech and yet free from the
bawdiness frequently seen in similar sanqu.

C 1 6. 9

To the Tune “Spring Song” [zhonglü key]: On Love

Laughing, I block out the silver candlelight with a red sleeve,
2 And forbid my erudite dear one to read books.
Nestling together, we have such fun.
4 Isn’t that only about exams?
Who cares even if you pass?
[QYSQ 1:195]

【中呂】陽春曲 題情

([zhōng lǚ] yáng chūn qŭ tí qíng)

laugh take red sleeve cover silver candle 笑將紅袖遮銀燭 △
(xiào jiāng hóng xiù zhē yín zhú)
not allow talent lad night read book 不放才郎夜看書 △
(bú fàng cái láng yè kàn shū)
mutual nestle mutual embrace get happy enjoyment 相偎相抱取歡娛 △
(xiāng wèi xiāng bào qŭ huān yú)
only not over repeatedly respond recommendation 止不過迭應舉 ▲
(zhĭ bú guò dié yìng jŭ)
reach grade will how like 及第待何如 △
(jí dì dài hé rú)

Although the translation adopts a first-person female voice, there are other ways to
read the song, because not a single personal pronoun is used in the original, and
it is hard to tell if this is “my” story or “his” or “her” story. Readers can choose to
take the first three lines as a third-person narration and the last two lines as a direct
quote from the girl, or even to treat the whole piece as a third-person story, with
the two concluding lines being the poet’s authorial comment. In any case, no one
will miss the message conveyed by this lighthearted love song.
The girl’s “laughing” (depicted by a verb in the original) at the beginning of
the song sets the tone for everything that follows. The coquettish laugh makes