The annotations for the translation of Chang'e's ancient poem are as follows:
1. Original text:
"Chang'e" - Li Shangyin of the Tang Dynasty
Mica Screen Candle Shadow Deep, the long river gradually sets and the dawn sinks.
Chang'e should regret stealing the elixir, and her heart will be filled with blue sea and blue sky every night.
2. Notes:
1. Deep: dark.
2. Long River: Milky Way.
3. Blue sea and blue sky: refers to Chang'e's boring life, where she could only see the blue sea and the dark blue sky.
4. Night heart: refers to Chang'e feeling lonely every night.
3. Translation:
The mica screen is stained with a thick candle shadow,
The Milky Way gradually slopes down and the morning star has also sunk.
Chang'e must have regretted secretly taking the elixir.
Now she is alone with the blue sea and blue sky, and feels chilled every night.
Author's introduction and writing background
1. Author's introduction:
Li Shangyin (about 813-about 858), also known as Yishan and Yuxi (Xi) Fan Nansheng, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, was born in Qinyang, Hanoi (now Jiaozuo City, Henan Province), and was born in Xingyang, Zhengzhou.
He is good at poetry writing, and his parallel prose has high literary value. He is one of the most outstanding poets in the late Tang Dynasty. Together with Du Mu, he is called "Xiao Li Du", and together with Wen Tingyun, he is called "Wen Li". The style of poetry is similar to that of Duan Chengshi and Wen Tingyun of the same period, and all three of them were ranked sixteenth in their families, so they are called the "Thirty-sixth Style".
His poems have novel ideas and beautiful styles, especially some love poems and untitled poems, which are sentimental, beautiful and moving, and are widely read. However, some poems are too obscure and difficult to understand. There is a saying that "poets always love Xikun and hate that no one writes Zheng Jian."
Because he was caught in the struggle between Niu and Li, he was very frustrated in his life. After his death, he was buried in his hometown Qinyang (now the junction of Qinyang and Boai County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province). The works are included in "Li Yishan's Collected Poems".
2. Writing background:
The author has been caught in the struggle between Niu and Li all his life, and has been very frustrated in his life. The essence of the Niu-Li party struggle is that eunuchs are in power. This poem satirizes the darkness of eunuchs in power and satirizes Xianzong's decline in imperial power. Confucius said: "If the country has the Way, then one can be an official; if the country does not have the Way, then one can curl up and cherish it." "Chang'e" is a typical example of this type of poem "If the country has no Way, one can curl up and cherish it".