Poetic Yunnan 11: Coldest days at Dian Sea
Major Cold is the coldest period of the year, marking the end of winter. On the coldest days, tourists from north China and beyond are flocking to Yunnan province for the mild climate, landscapes and folk customs. Today, we present you three classic poems on the Dianchi lakeside winter life by Yang Shen/杨慎.
A winter-evening view of the Dianchi Lake in central Yunnan
I
diān hǎi zhú zhī cí
滇海竹枝词
dōng pǔ cǎi hóng xuán shuǐ zhuāng
东浦彩虹悬水桩，
xī shān bái yǔ diǎn hán jiāng
西山白雨点寒江。
yān zhōng tǐng zǐ yáo liǎng jiǎng
烟中艇子摇两桨,
kōng lǐ lù sī fēi yì shuāng
空里鹭鸶飞一双。
Bamboo-twig Song on Dian Sea
An east-shore rainbow hangs like a stump over water;
White raindrops from West Hills dot the cold river.
The boatman wields two oars amid mist;
A pair of egrets fly in the sky for a tryst.
Culture ABCs:
a.The Bamboo-twig Song/竹枝词 in the title is an ancient folk song with love as its main theme, and it also refers to occasional poems in the classical style devoted to local topics. The twig song was originally popular in today’s Chongqing and Sichuan, hometown of the poet Yang Shen. The poem above describes the beauty of central Yunnan’s Dian Sea, better known as Dianchi Lake now.
b.The poet Yang Shen (1488-1559) is a Number One Scholar of the Ming Dynasty, who was banished to Yunnan province for over 30 years. Yang was amazed by the provincial scenic beauty, but he largely lived a lonely life in Yunnan, traveling across the province for leisure.
c. Water stump/水桩 in Line 1 is another name of the rainbow by Kunming locals. White rain/白雨 in Line 2 could mean either rain storm or ice storm.
A winter-evening view of the Dianchi Lake in central Yunnan
II
fàn diān hǎi guī gǎn jiù kǒu zhàn
泛滇海归感旧口占
tán xiào yǐ wú qián wò yuè
谈笑已无钱卧月，
fēng liú bú jiàn lǐ huá xiān
风流不见李华仙。
yú cūn jiǔ shì jīng yóu chù
渔村酒市经游处，
xié rì hán lín suǒ mù yān
斜日寒林锁暮烟。
Impromptu Nostalgia after Boating on Dian Sea
The legendary Qian Woyue is no longer here for jokes;
The romantic Li Huaxian is no longer there for affairs.
Wandering in a fishing village and wine shop of musk,
I see cold forest under setting sun locked in the dusk.
Culture ABCs:
a.Qian Woyue/钱卧月 in Line 1 is the poet’s friend either in reality or imagination, and Woyue means a full moon in hiding. Yang Shen has another two poems devoted to Qian, where the name is Qian Jiefu/钱节夫. In the poems, Yang either tells Qian the vernal sight of Yunnan or describes him as a lovely boy in a cloud-silk dress. The poet used to meet Qian on the Dian Sea, or Kunming Lake.
b.Li Huaxian/李华仙 in Line 2 refers to Li Bai, or Li Po (701-762). Li is a top romanticist poet in the Tang Dynasty, who is admired by Yang Shen.
An autumn view of the Daguan park near Dianchi Lake in central Yunnan
III
dōng rì jiǔ zuì diān hǎi
冬日酒醉滇海
hán dēng shè jiǔ zuì jī tún
寒灯社酒醉鸡豚，
diān hǎi gāo yáo gǔ yì cún
滇海高峣古义存。
cè zhàng chí shāng xiāng wèi jiè
策杖持觞相慰藉，
quán shèng zǐ měi zài qiāng cūn
全胜子美在羌村。
Drunk on Winter Day at Dian Sea
With chicken and pork, I get drunk in rustic liquor and cold light;
Gaoyao villagers near Dian Sea hold the ancient generosity tight.
Walking sticks and cups in hand, they comfort me with toasts;
This is much better than the life Zimei in Qiang village boasts.
Culture ABCs:
a.The original title of the poem is too long, to the effect that the poet Yang arrived at the Gaoyao village on the 13th day of the 11th lunar month, and he was specially treated by 20 plus senior folks who cooked pork and liquor to comfort him. Yang composed the poem in intoxication, recording the rural generosity in Yunnan. The title is edited out of the narrative.
b.Gaoyao/高峣 is a lakeside village at the foot of Western Hills, where 峣 means high mountains. Although 峣 is pronounced as yáo in standard Chinese, local villagers tend to utter 峣 into qiáo.
c.Zimei/子美 is another name of Du Fu (712-770), a top realist poet in the Tang Dynasty. Like Yang, Du also angered the emperor in a letter in 757 and lived an exile life in Qiang village in today’s Fuxian county, northwest China’s Shaanxi province.
Chinese sources: The books of Yunnan in Ancient Poems and Selected Yang Sheng’an Poems and Lyrics at Refined Residency near Jade-rooster Mountain; Photos and English text by Wang Shixue