Translation and annotation of Qu Yuan's "Nine Chapters Two: Crossing the River"
Explanation: This is Qu Yuan's work after he was exiled from Ezhu to Xupu in his later years, probably before his departure.
Original text translation annotation
Yu You likes this strange dress1,
You are old but not old.
Lu Lixi with a long hairpin 3,
Cui Wei with a crown cutting the clouds 4.
Pet Baolu under the bright moon5,
The world is turbid and there is no one who knows it6,
We are so high that we ignore it7.
Driving a green Qiu and riding a white Chi8,
I and Chonghua traveled to the Garden of Yao9.
Climb Kunlun and eat jade 10,
Live as long as the heaven and the earth,
Light as the sun and the moon.
I am sorry for the Southern Yi, I don’t know about it 11,
I will help Jiangxiang 12.
Riding in Ezhu and looking back13,
Alas, the mood of autumn and winter14.
There are 15 horses on the road, and 16 cars on the road.
I took a boat ride on Yuanxi 17,
Qi Wu ranked 18 and defeated him.
The boat is as large as it can be but does not advance 19,
It is flooded with water and stagnant 20.
The morning is in vain 21,
The evening is Chenyang 22.
Gou Yu’s heart is straight and upright23,
It’s no harm even if it’s remote!24!
Enter Xupu and wander around 25,
I am confused and don’t know what I am doing 26.
The deep forest is full of darkness27,
This is where the ape lives28.
The mountains are so high that they block out the sun,
It’s dark and it rains 29.
The sleet is boundless 30,
The clouds are falling and the sky is falling 31.
I am sad that my life is joyless,
I am alone in the mountains.
I cannot change my mind and follow the secular ways,
I will be miserable and end up poor32.
Meeting Yu Kun’s head 33,
Sang Hu walking naked 34.
Loyalty does not need to be used,
There is no need to use 35 to be virtuous.
Wu Zi met with disaster 36,
Bigan Jingmin 37.
It is the same as in the previous life.
Why should I blame the people of today!
I will not hesitate to talk to Dong Dao 39,
I will fall into coma for the rest of my life 40.
Luan said:
Luanniaofenghuang41,
The sun is far away.
The birds and magpies are 42,
The nest is in the hall and the altar is 43.
Lu Shen Xinyi 44,
Dead Lin Boxi 45.
The fishy smell and smell are 46,
The fragrance is not thin 47.
Yin and Yang transposition 48,
The time is not right 49.
Haixin wabi50,
Suddenly I am about to go 51! I have liked this kind of fancy dress since I was a child.
My interest has not diminished even as I get older.
Wearing a long sword is shining and beautiful,
The Qieyun crown on his head stands tall and towering.
I am wearing pearls of the bright moon and my waist is adorned with beautiful jade,
But the world is turbid and no one understands me,
I am running towards high places without looking back at all.
The horned green dragon rides on the shaft and the hornless white dragon pulls the toggle.
I traveled to Yao Garden with Emperor Shun Chonghua.
Climb Kunlun Mountain to feed on the jade elite,
Want to live forever like heaven and earth,
Want to shine forever with the sun and moon.
Those who mourn the Southern Yi do not understand me.
I will cross the Yangtze River and Xiangjiang River after dawn.
We boarded Ezhu and looked back at the way we came.
We lamented the strong winds in autumn and winter.
Let my horse walk on the high ground by the water,
Leave my car at Fang Lin.
I took a boat with a window up the Yuan River,
and we swung our big oars to cut through the waves.
The ship is slow and unable to move forward,
stuck in the countercurrent.
We set off from Wangjin in the morning and stopped in Chenyang in the evening.
As long as I am upright and honest in my heart,
No matter how remote and remote it is, there is no harm.
When I entered Xupu, I hesitated.
My heart was confused and I didn’t know where I was going.
The deep woods are remote and dark,
It is the place where apes and monkeys live in groups.
The mountains are tall and steep, blocking the sun.
It is deep, dark and rainy below.
The snowdrops and snowflakes are flying endlessly,
The floating clouds are flowing and hanging down to connect the houses.
I am sad that I have no fun in this life.
I live alone in the mountains.
I cannot change my mind and follow the popular customs,
So I will be miserable and poor all my life.
The madman shaves his head like a sinner, and the hermit takes off his clothes and walks naked.
A loyal person may not be used by the world, and a wise person may not be appointed.
Don’t you see that Wu Zixu was in trouble?
Bigan was chopped into meat paste and tortured.
Ah, previous generations were like this too,
Why should I resent today’s people?
I will follow the right path without hesitation,
even if I am afraid of being trapped in darkness and never seeing the light for the rest of my life.
At the end it is sung:
Those handsome birds, the luan, the phoenix, are flying far and wide day by day and are hard to find.
Ordinary birds such as sparrows, black magpies, etc.,
but they build nests on the altars of temples.
Shenjiao and Xinyi, those fragrant and fragrant trees,
all wither and wither in the bushes.
If you use it together with fishy smell,
the aroma will not come close to you.
The order of yin and yang has been reversed,
The order of seasons and seasons is also inappropriate.
Full of loyalty but melancholy and frustrated,
I will travel far away! 1. Strange clothes: strange clothes are used to symbolize one's unique ambition and character. .
2. Decline: slack off, decay.
3. 铗 (音clip cheek: hilt, here refers to the sword. Long 铗 means long sword. Lu Li: appearance.
4. Qie Yun: a kind of high hat at that time Name. Cui Wei: towering.
5. Bei: same as "Phi". Mingyue: Luminous Pearl.
6. Mo Yuzhi: That is. "Mo Zhiyu", no one understands me.
7. Fang: Going far away. Gu: Looking back.
8. Qiu: A hornless dragon. Chi: A four-horse carriage, and the horses on both sides are called chi. Chi (yinchi): a kind of dragon.
9. Chonghua: Emperor Shun's name. Yao: Beautiful jade. Garden. "Yao's garden" refers to the garden rich in beautiful jade in the legend.
Ying: Flowers.
11. Yi: The name given to the surrounding backward ethnic groups at that time, with the meaning of contempt and insult. Nanyi: refers to the indigenous people in the southern part of Chu State where Qu Yuan was exiled. 12. Dan: Early morning. Xiang: Xiangjiang River.
13. Cheng: Mount. Ezhu: Place name, in the west of present-day Wuchang, Hubei.
14. Alas (Yin Ai): A sigh. Lin: place name.
17. 舲 (pronounced zero) boat: a boat with a window.
18. Qi: both at the same time. Some people also interpret it as "big". List: paddle.
19. Tolerance: slow, soothing.
20. Flood: stay. water. This sentence means that the boat is stagnant in the swirling water.
21. Xin: Same as "Zhu". Wong Xin: the place name, in the area of ????Changde, Hunan. p>22. Chenyang: a place name in the west of Chenxi County in present-day Hunan Province.
23. Duan: Zheng.
24. Injury: Damage. If my heart is upright, what harm will it do to me if I am exiled in a remote place?
25. Xupu: On the shore of Qishui. These two sentences. It means that after entering Xupu, I hesitated, not knowing where to go.
26. Such as: to, go.
27. Mingming: dark and dim. .
28. 狖 (sound): Long-tailed ape.
29. Deep and dark.
30. Snow beads. : Many. Yin: Margin. This sentence means that the snow is falling as far as the eye can see.
31. Feifei: The clouds are thick. Yu: The sky is covered with clouds. Filling the sky.
32. End of poverty: lifelong hardship.
33. Jieyu: A hermit from Chu State in the Spring and Autumn Period, who pretended to be arrogant. Kun (Yin Kun) is the first punishment in ancient times. One, that is, shaving your hair. According to legend, Jieyu shaved off his hair and shunned the world.
34. Sang Hu: An ancient hermit. Naked: Same as "naked". Sanghu expressed his cynicism by walking in a crossbody.
35. To: use. These two sentences mean that loyal ministers and wise men may not be useful to the world.
36. Wu Zi: Wu Zixu, a wise minister of Wu State in the Spring and Autumn Period. Feng Shui: refers to Wu Zixu being killed by King Wu Fu Chai.
37. Bigan: A virtuous minister during the reign of King Zhou of Shang Dynasty was killed by King Zhou because of his direct advice. Jingmin (pronounced Zuhai): An ancient torture method that stomps people into pulp.
38. All the same: all the same.
39. Dong Dao: Stick to the right path. Yu: Hesitant, hesitant.
40. Repeat: Repeat. Dim: obscure. This sentence means that you will never see the light for life.
41. Luan bird and phoenix: They are both auspicious birds, which are metaphors for talented people. These two sentences mean that the wise man is away from the court day by day.
42. Sparrow and black magpie: a metaphor for flattering a villain.
43. Tang: palace. Altar: altar. It is a metaphor for villains crowding the court.
44. Lushen: Once "Lu Jia" is made, it is Daphne flower.
Xinyi: a kind of fragrant wood, namely magnolia.
45. Thin forest: a place with mixed vegetation.
46. Smell: A foul-smelling thing, a metaphor for a flattering person. Royal: enter and use.
47. Fang: A fragrant and clean thing, a metaphor for a loyal and upright gentleman. Thin: close.
48. Yin and Yang translocation: a metaphor for the chaotic and topsy-turvy reality of Chu State.
49. When: together.
50. Huaixin: Be loyal and faithful. Wabi: melancholy and frustrated.
51. Suddenly: in a trance, at a loss.
Appreciation
Regarding the theme of the chapter "She Jiang", Wang Yi's "Chu Ci Chapters" said: "This chapter expresses admiration for others, high ambitions for resistance, and no one in the country knows it. He wandered on the river, lamenting that the villain was in power, but the gentleman was killed. "Wang Yuan's "Anthology of Chu Ci" said: "This article is about the nobleness of one's own actions, and it is sad that I am about to cross Hunan. Yuan, entering the dense forest and the depth of the mountain, would rather live in sorrow for the rest of his life than change his mind and follow the customs, so he named it "Shejiang", which means that he will go across the river and go far away. "These two opinions are comparable. It accurately summarizes the theme of this article, and most scholars will interpret the theme of this article in the same way in the future. There are many disagreements about the writing time of this article. There are roughly four opinions: one is that it was written during the period of King Huai of Chu. This opinion is represented by Wang Yuan. Wang Ai's "Anthology of Chu Ci" believes that this article " At the end, he quotes the ancients for self-comfort. His words are harmonious, his tone is calm, and his writing is simple and clean. There is not a single word that expresses the resentment of the slanderer. "The appearance and appearance are all created at the same time." The second theory is that it was written in the early years of King Qingxiang. For example, Lin Yunming's "Ci Deng of Chu" states that it was written in the second year of King Qingxiang (297 BC). Dai Zhen's "Annotations to Qu Yuan's Fu" also said: "I was slandered again, and I moved south of the Yangtze River to the place of expulsion. It was also the time when King Qingxiang returned to the south of the Yangtze River." The third opinion is that it was written during the period of exile. Around the ninth year of King Qingxiang's reign, Jiang Ji's "Shandai Pavilion Notes on Chu Ci" said, "Shejiang" and "Aiying" were both written in the south of the Yangtze River during the Qingxiang period, but "Aiying" was sent to Lingyang from Ying. They all go from west to east. "Shejiang" goes from Ezhu to Xupu, and then from northeast to southwest, after Lingyang was established." It also said: "Qingxiang came to the throne, and he lived in Lingyang from Ying. In the ninth year of Yang, he wrote "Ai Ying" and then moved to Chenxu from Lingyang to write "Shejiang". The fourth opinion is that it was written before his death. For example, Guo Moruo's "Research on Qu Yuan" believes that it was written by King Er of Qingxiang. Eleven years after Bai Qi broke through the Ying Dynasty, Qu Yuan was driven to the south of the Yangtze River. He "wrote "She Jiang", "Huaisha", and "Cherishing the Past" one after another, and finally committed suicide." Among the above theories, it is not advisable to say that Wang Yuan wrote it during the era of King Huai, because his words are not actually peaceful, and it is obvious that he wrote them after his exile. Among the theories written in the era of King Qingxiang, Jiang Ji's theory is more preferable, because from the perspective of the whole article, Qu Yuan was completely disappointed with the King of Chu at this time, which is different from middle-aged works such as "Li Sao". The specific age is subject to debate, but it can be roughly determined to be Qu Yuan's work in his later years, after he was exiled to Jiangnan for many years.
The whole article is generally divided into five paragraphs.
The first paragraph starts from the beginning and ends with "A day spent helping Jiangxi and Xiang". It describes the contradiction between his lofty ideals and reality, and explains the basic reasons for this long journey across the river. "Qifu", "Long-term" "Cai", "Qie Yun", "Guan", "Ming Yue", "Bao Lu", etc. are all used to symbolize one's noble moral character and talents. Jiang Ji said: "The clothes that are different from the world mean that one's aspirations and actions are different from others." "Since his exile, Qu Yuan has grown older and his body has aged day by day, but he has never given up his efforts for the progress of Chu State. Zhu Xi said: "Climbing Kunlun is as high as one's words; eating Yuying, He insisted on reform and hoped that the Chu country would be strong and prosperous. He would never be discouraged by being hit or exiled. But he felt inexplicably lonely in his heart. "The world is turbid, but no one knows about it", "I feel sorry for the Southern Yi, but no one knows about it", but my noble aspirations are not understood by the world, which is really sad. Therefore, we decided to cross the river.
The second paragraph is from "Riding in Ezhu and looking back" to "It hurts even though it is so far away", describing the experiences along the way and my own feelings. The four sentences "Cheng Ezhu" refer to the fact that he boarded Ezhu, west of today's Wuchang, Hubei Province. He couldn't help but look back at the road he had traveled, and then let his horse trot on Shangao until he reached Fanglin (also on the north bank of today's Yangtze River). Just stopped the car. The four lines of "Riding a boat" refer to the boat going up the Yuanjiang River. The boat is moving hard against the current and the whirlpool. Although the boatmen work together and hit the water with their oars, the boat is stagnant and it is difficult to move forward. This situation is not like this. What is the poet's own situation? The four sentences of "Chaofei Wangmin" continue to describe his own itinerary. He started from Wangjin in the morning and arrived in Chenyang in the evening. It was a full day's journey. The farther west the journey became, the more determined the author's thoughts became. He firmly believes that his ambition is correct, loyal and selfless. At the same time, I firmly believe that no matter how hard or difficult it is, I will not feel sad.
The third paragraph is from "Enter Xupu and lingering in the mountains" to "I will be miserable and end up poor", which describes the scene of being alone in the mountains after entering Xupu. The four sentences "Enter Shupu" have entered Xupu. Xupu is located among the mountains of Chenyang. The forest here is deep and dark, and the hazel bushes are thick. It is a place where apes live, but it is not a place suitable for people to go. The four sentences "mountains are steep and high" describe the deep mountains, filled with clouds, and the connection between heaven and earth. They further describe the scene in Yuanxi where the mountains are high, the forests are deep, and there are very few people. This is an exaggerated description of the environment in the penal colony, and it is also a metaphor for the political environment in which he lives, which pave the way for the following four sentences.
"I am sorry that my life is so joyless" means that in such a political environment and living environment, I have no joy at all. However, even so, I will never change my original political ideals and living habits, and I will never collude with the dark forces or compromise and betrayal.
The fourth paragraph is from "taking over the father-in-law's head" to "he will be unconscious for the rest of his life". He further expresses his political stance through his own experience and the encounters of some loyal martyrs in history. Jieyu was a hermit of the Chu state in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was the "Chu Kuang Jieyu" mentioned in The Analects of Confucius, at the same time as Confucius. "The Analects of Confucius·Weizi" said: "Chu Kuang took the song from the public servant and passed by Confucius and said: 'Phoenix is ??here! How can virtue be so bad!'" "Warring States Policy·Qin San" said: "Jizi received the public servant and painted his body. If you are fierce, you will be mad. "Shaving your head and hair was a punishment in ancient times. If you are mad, you will be mad, which is a sign of resolutely not cooperating with the ruler. Sang Hu is also an ancient hermit, namely Zi Sang Bozi mentioned in The Analects of Confucius and Zi Sang Hu mentioned in Zhuangzi. "Confucius Family Sayings" says that he "lives without clothes", which is also a cynical behavior and does not cooperate with the ruler. Wu Zi is Wu Zixu, a wise official of the Wu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period. King Wu's husband listened to Bo Pi (pi3)'s slander and forced the Wu officials to commit suicide. Bigan, the uncle of King Zhou of Yin (some say he was the concubine brother of King Zhou). Legend has it that King Zhou was promiscuous, ignored government affairs, and gave strong advice to Bigan, but was betrayed by King Zhou and died. The word "醹醢" in the poem reflects the cruelty of his punishment (Han Zhen: The author probably confused Bigan and Meibo's punishment). The six sentences of "Jie Yu" illustrate a point through four examples of two different types: Jie Yu and Sang Hu were passive and uncooperative, and were abandoned by the times; Wu Yuan and Bigan wanted to save the country and change the reality. But it is unavoidable to kill someone, so the conclusion is that "there is no need to use loyalty, and there is no need to use virtuous people." "It's the same as in previous lives" means that he knows that all wise men are like this, so why should I blame today's people! It shows that he will still go straight on the right path without hesitation, but he will inevitably encounter a lot of darkness and must be prepared to fight in the darkness for the rest of his life.
The fifth paragraph follows "Luanyue". Criticizing the political darkness of Chu State, evil and sycophant people are in power, while virtuous people are persecuted. The four sentences "Luan Bird and Phoenix Emperor" are a metaphor for the wise men staying away and the villains stealing the throne. The phoenix is ??a divine bird in ancient legends, here it is a metaphor for the wise men. "Sparrow, black magpie" is used to describe a villain. The four lines of "Lu Shen Xin Yi" mean that Lu Shen Xin Yi and other fragrant and fragrant trees died in the jungle. "Xingshen" means that evil people are using it one after another, but loyal and righteous people are being turned away. The four sentences "Yin and Yang translocation" further highlight the situation of yin and yang changing their positions in society. The right and wrong of things are all reversed, and he is not in the right time. It goes without saying that on the one hand, he had firm beliefs, but on the other hand, he felt frustrated and hesitant. Since the dirty environment cannot stay for long, he will leave here and go far away.
This poem was written by Qu Yuan in his later years. It was written after "Sorrow". One of the most prominent features of this poem is that there is a large section of descriptive text in the poem. Mr. Jiang Liangfu's "Commentary Notes on Qu Yuan's Fu" said: "This chapter crosses the river from Lingyang to Dongting, passes through Wongbi and Chenyang, enters Xupu, and goes up to Yan, which records its journey. It starts from Jijiang River, so the title is " "Wading the River"...the meaning of the text is very clear, and the path is particularly clear." This passage describes the scenery of the Yuanshui River Basin and became the earliest outstanding chronicle poem in my country, which had an impact on the creation of similar poems in later generations. The organic combination of scenery description and emotional expression in the poem has reached a very perfect level. In the second paragraph of the poem, through the description of the itinerary, scenery, seasons, climate and the expression of the poet's inner thoughts, we seem to see the image of an elderly poet who has experienced vicissitudes of life, is isolated and helpless, and ascends to Ezhu to review the road he has traveled. , and seemed to see a small boat struggling to move forward in the rapids and whirlpools. The mood of Zhuchen in the boat was the same as what happened to the boat, with endless emotions to express. The description of the deep mountains and old forests after entering Xupu in the third paragraph of the poem brings out the poet's lonely, sad and angry mood, and makes readers sigh with regret. The use of metaphor and symbolism in this article is also very skillful. At the beginning of the poem, the poet uses symbolic techniques, using curious clothes, wearing a long hairpin, crown cutting clouds, being covered by the bright moon, and wearing Baolu to express his ambitions, and using green Qiu and white chi, visiting Yaopu, and eating jade ying to symbolize own lofty ambitions. In the last paragraph, Luan birds, phoenixes, and vanilla are used to symbolize integrity and nobility; sparrows, magpies, and fishy smells are used to describe evil forces, which fully expresses the poet's deep feelings about the current society.
(Lin Jiali)