Crane Into the Sky By Poet Liu Yong (鹤冲天-柳永)

Crane Into the Sky
By Poet Liu Yong (987-1053) of Song Dynasty

On the golden score board,
I just missed the champion title.
Even in good era, the best ones were left out,
Now, where I should go?
So I didn’t ride the wind and climb the cloud,
But still I shouldn’t loose my pride.
And why I cared much about gain and loss?
A talented poet.
Is just an untitled minister.

In the smoky flower district,
And behind the painted screens,
I luckily met my loving soul mate,
She was worthy for me to find.
And there I sat by her, the girl in red and green,
O romance, suits one’s whole life.
The springtime of life is just a moment.
So I’d better trade off the floating fame
For her shallow cups and moaning songs.

Note:
The poet and musician was very famous in Song Dynasty, that he Ci poems or lyrics were sung everywhere, that people even said that where you found a well and there you might hear Liu Yong’s songs. True. Commons loved his poems. And he spent his whole life writing songs about common people and for common people, even many officials (those who considered themselves learned or higher class) agreed to recognize his talents and works.

This poem was done before his Emperor’s exam. And that time, Mr. Liu Yong was already famous for his unorthodox life style, that he often wrote songs for young maids who slaved in “the smoky flower district” prostitution and entertaining place. Because most songs were targeted love, romance, in straightforward and bold fashion that was usually considered as low class or no class people’s literature by ‘highly educated Confucianism trained’ people. So when he took the emperor’s exam, that was held and read by the emperor himself, his name and exam paper was handed in, and the emperor lifted his brush and quoted the verse of Mr. Liu Yong’s poem, which was from this one:
“So I’d better trade off the floating fame
For her shallow cups and moaning songs.”

And the poet was dismissed by the emperor, and the poet spent his whole life time drifted or I should say lived among the common, where most his admirers were, in “the smoky flower district”, where men were allowed to have true romance, and women were allowed to get involved in literature thru poems and songs about their moment and future, about life, and love. In the end, Mr. Liu Yong lived a poor life, and most his lovers helped him with money so he could travel from city to city, and he had many lovers in most the city, in the entertaining district, after he died, his lovers buried him, and year after year, there were many women visited his grave. People truly loved him.


鹤冲天
柳永

黃金榜上。
偶失龍頭望。
明代暫遺賢，
如何向。
未遂風雲便，
爭不恣狂蕩。
何須論得喪。
才子詞人，
自是白衣卿相。

煙花巷陌，
依約丹青屏障。
幸有意中人，
堪尋訪。
且恁偎紅翠，
風流事、平生暢。
青春都一餉。
忍把浮名，
換了淺斟低唱。