Man Jiang Hong – General Yue Fei

Man Jiang Hong – Yue Fei
By General Yue Fei of Song Dynasty
Translated by Laijon Liu

My wrath bristles pierce thru my helmet,
By the rail I stand
To watch the whistling rain stopped.
I look up,
Facing the sky to give a long roar,
And strong passion surges in my chest.
Thirty years my triumph and fame are nothing but dust and dirt,
Eight thousands mile road I’ve traveled under the cloud and moon.
Do not wait,
For our young hair turn to gray,
So we can only give vain grief.
Shame of Jing Kang,
Is not yet revenged;
Regret of servants,
When shall all disperse?
Let’s drive our long chariots to raze
The Ridge of Helan Mountain!
With our brave will to feed our hunger on the flesh of Hu,
Thru our chat and jest we drink Xiong Nu’s blood for our thirst.
Let’s start anew,
To retake our past mountains and rivers
Before the court of Heavens!

Note:
When I was about 5, I went to Hang Zhou for a visit the General Yue Fei Temple, and kowtowed to his giant statue for my heartfelt tribute to my hero, a Nationalist of Song Dynasty, who died of his Emperor’s poison wine, so that way he would not lead national army and riot to save the nation from northern invaders, his emperor rather sit in his half kingdom, would not want to see any of his generals to liberate the fallen territory, because he was afraid the his general would gain more popularity than him, so his weak control would lose the grasp on people. And when I was 9/10, my father gave me a book that told a historical story of General Yue Fei. So he is always my model, my idol, and my hero.

I suggest people should visit his temple in Hang Zhuo, China; if one cannot, then please check the wikipedia website as follow link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yue_Fei

And following is a partial translate my Chinese Opera of "Tattoo By Mrs. Yue"
that is telling the story of Mother of General Yue Fei gave a tattoo her son to remind him to always serve his country.

Tattoo by Mother of General Yue Fei
(Chinese Opera, Partial translated by Laijon Liu )

Let Peng Ju come and stand in this grass room to listen
A good man should spread his fame under the heavens.

Remember that your mother has raised you for 20 years,
Only to wish you to retain a great will to protect our state.
But I’m afraid that my son you do not keep your origin will,
So I here to mark a tattoo to remind you as it’s on your heart
Tell your wife to bring the ink and put where you kneel

I raised my brush to carefully look my son’ back,
Thinking of that he should be a loyal model and righteous
To serve the emperor’s order for our nation as house girder
So I hereby print the four characters in full shape

Holding the needle with trembling hand and unease heart
his body of blood and flesh is my own birth and soul,
How could I be the mother and pierce my son’s skin and flesh?
So I can only bite my teeth and finish all the piercing work.

With grief and tear I break my own heart and gut.
A stroke by stroke I pierce the mark on his back,
My needle pierce on his flesh, breaks his mother’s heart.
And my son holds his pain without a sound and word,
Only the drops of blood and the drops of ink tainted his cloth.
I finish the four characters and I fell my spirit is gone…

“Sincere Loyalty Serves Nation” Words are heavy and heart is longed.

------


Poem in Chinese:
满江红
岳飞

怒髮衝冠，
憑欄處，
瀟瀟雨歇。
抬望眼，
仰天長嘯，
壯懷激烈。
三十功名塵與土，
八千里路雲和月。
莫等閒
白了少年頭，
空悲切。
靖康恥，
猶未雪；
臣子恨，
何時滅？
駕長車踏破
賀蘭山缺！
壯志飢餐胡虜肉，
笑談渴飲匈奴血。
待從頭
收拾舊山河，
朝天闕。

Opera in Chinese:

《岳母刺字》---岳母


〔劇情簡介〕 南宋初年，金兵南下，汴京留守杜充望風潰逃，后又可恥

地做了漢奸。

不愿投敵的杜充部將岳飛心灰意冷，一時糊涂，逃回家中伺

奉老母。

岳母曉之以民族大義，并在兒子背上刻下“精忠報國”四字，

勉勵岳 飛與敵寇血戰到底。

這段唱詞是現仍健在的馬少波先生所作。整個唱段大義凜然，

情真意切，是老旦行中最為出色的唱段之一。



〔西皮導板〕

叫鵬舉站草堂聽娘言講，
Let Peng Ju come and stand in this grass room to listen

〔回龍〕

好男兒理應當天下名揚。
A good man should spread his fame under the heavens,

〔慢板〕

想為娘二十載教兒成長，
Remember that your mother has raised you for 20 years,
惟望你懷大志扶保家邦。
Only to wish you to retain a great will to protect our state.
怕的是我的兒難堅志向，
But I’m afraid that my son you do not keep your origin will,
因此上刺字銘記在心房。
So I here to mark a tattoo to remind you as it’s on your heart
叫媳婦取筆硯兒寬衣跪在堂上，
Tell your wife to bring the ink and put where you kneel

〔原板〕

提羊毫撫兒背仔細端詳。
I raised my brush to carefully look my son’ back,
厲節操秉精忠作人榜樣，
Thinking of that he should be a loyal model and righteous
勤王命誓報國方為棟梁。
To serve the emperor’s order for our nation as house girder
我這里把四字書寫停當，
So I hereby print the four characters in full shape

〔散板〕

持金（zan）不由我手顫心慌。
holding the needle with trembling hand and unease heart
血肉軀原本是娘生娘養，
his body of blood and flesh is my own birth and soul,
為娘的哪 能夠將兒的膚發傷。
how could I be the mother and pierce my son’s skin and flesh?
無耐何咬牙關把字刺上，
so I can only bite my teeth and finish all the piercing work.

〔快板〕

含悲忍淚狠心腸。
with grief and tear I break my own heart and gut.
一筆一划刺背上，
a stroke and a stroke I pierce the mark on his back,
刺在兒背娘心傷。
my needle pierce on his flesh, breaks his mother’s heart.
我的兒忍痛無話講，
and my son holds his pain without a sound and word,
點點血墨染衣裳。
only the drops of blood and the drops of ink tainted his cloth.
刺罷了四字我心神恍……
I finish the four characters and I fell my spirit is gone.

〔散板〕

“精忠報國”語重心長。
“Sincere Loyalty Serves Nation” Words are heavy and heart is longed.