(The World of Poetry 1-3) 人间词话

(The World of Poetry 1-2) 人间词话

By Mr. Wang Guo Wei王国维 (1877-1920)

Part I 第一部分

01. Art of poem is best to build on realm. Through its realm, it naturally becomes high character, so it logically contains famous lines. The Five Dynasty and Northern Song poets stand at such state because of this.
[一]词以境界为最上。有境界，则自成高格，自有名句。五代、北宋之词所以独绝者在此.

Example:

菩萨蛮. (Pu Sha Man)
李白. (Poet Li Bai 701-762)
Even forest vast and lonely smokes as twine, cold mountains as one belt in a grieving blue.
Dusk light shines into the high chamber, there’s a person standing in sorrow.
Jade stairs are empty and standing, night rested birds take off in rush.
Where is the homeward road? [I see] the inns faraway and nearby.
平林漠漠烟如织，寒山一带伤心碧。
暝色入高楼，有人楼上愁。
玉梯空伫立，宿鸟归飞急。
何处是归程? 长亭连短亭。

望江南. (Wang Jiang Nan)
李煜. (Poet Li Yu 937-978)
Idle dream away, southern country now in clear autumn.
Thousand mile rivers and hills in cold color and far,
Among the deep reed flowers I berth my lonely boat,
To hear flute playing from chamber under clear moon.
闲梦远，南国正清秋。
千里江山寒色远，
芦花深处泊孤舟。
笛在月明楼。

苏幕遮 (Su Mu Zhe)
范仲淹 (Poet Fan Zhong Yan 989-1052)
Blue cloudy sky, yellow leaves ground, autumn color repeating waves, above waves cold jade smoke.
Decline sun reflects on mountains and sky joints water, fragrant grass affectionless, stand under the declining sun.
Gloomy homesick soul, longs for return journey. Night and night, good dreams invite a person to sleep.
Bright moon over high chamber but don’t lean there alone, drink enters sorrow belly, becomes lovesick tears.
碧云天，黄叶地，秋色连波，波上寒烟翠。
山映斜阳天接水，芳草无情，更在斜阳外。
黯乡魂，追旅思。夜夜除非，好梦留人睡。
明月楼高休独倚，酒入愁肠，化作相思泪。

02. There are method of creating realm and describing realm, which are the type of “Ideality” and “Realistic”. But these two types are difficult to identify because masters create their realm that is natural and also near to their ideal.
[二]有造境，有写境，此“理想”与“写实”二派之所由分。然二者颇难分别，因大诗人所造之境必合乎自然，所写之境亦必邻于理想故也。
Example:

望江南 (Wang Jiang Nan)
温庭筠 (Poet Wen Ting Jun 812-870?)
After wash and dress,
I alone lean on the balcony to watch the river.
Thousands boats passed but none is,
Inclined sun lovingly shines upon the leisured flow.
My heart breaks in White Duckweed state.
梳流罢，
独倚望江楼。
过尽千帆皆不是，
斜晖脉脉水悠悠。
肠断白苹州。

蝶恋花 (Die Lian Hua)　
周邦彦 (Poet Zhou Bang Yan 1056-1121)
Moon clear and bright and shocked crows still cannot perch.
Sandleak runs remnant, bucket winch pulling over metal well mouth.
Awake my two eyes in this bright [night],
Tears dropped on pillow and red cotton blanket still cold.
Stretch my hands in frosty wind that blows my temple hair shadow.
Leaving decision, in hesitation; goodbye words, sorrowful to hear.
Over the upper chamber railing, the Big Dipper moves across,
Cold dew, person far off, and cocks crow.
月皎惊乌栖不定。
更漏将残，辘牵金井。
唤起两眸清炯炯，
泪花落枕红棉冷。
执手霜风吹鬓影。
去意徊徨，别语愁难听。
楼上阑干横斗柄，
露寒人远鸡相应。

03. Realm that involves poet’s existence, realm that does not involve poet’s existence.
“Tears in my eye I asked the flower but it did not reply, scattering petals flying and passed over the hanging swing.” “What a lonely chamber, shut and closed, In the early spring, still enduring the cold. Only the song of cuckoo accompanied us, Till the sun declined, another evening call.” realm that involves poet’s existence.
“Pick chrysanthemum under east hedgerow, leisurely view the south hills” “Cold current rise wave after wave, and white birds leisurely soar and land.” realm that does not involve poet’s existence. Poet involves in his realm to use his own feeling to reflect matters, so all content are in the color of poet’s mood. Realm that does not include poet only uses matter to reflect content, so readers cannot define which matter reflects the poet or matter thru the content. When ancient poets compose, they are often involved in their realm, but achieving the other, only the heroes(Great Poets) can build up.
［三］有有我之境，有无我之境。“泪眼问花花不语，乱红飞过秋千去①”，“可堪孤馆闭春寒，杜鹃声里斜阳暮②”，有我之境也。“采菊东篱下，悠然见南山 ③”，“寒波澹澹起，白鸟悠悠下④”，无我之境也。有我之境，以我观物，故物皆著我之色彩。无我之境，以物观物，故不知何者为我，何者为物。古人为词，写有我之境者为多。然未始不能写无我之境，此在豪杰之士能自树立耳。

Note: 注释：

冯延巳 (Feng Yan Si 903-960)
鹊踏枝 (Que Ta Zhi)
Garden is deep and how deep it is?
Willows as smoke, blanketed as countless screens.
Jade horse reins, curved saddles surrounded gorgeous place.
High chambers blocked the courtesan roads.
Sweeping rain, gushing wind in March dusk,
Door was closed by the evenfall, no method to bid spring to stay.
Tears in my eye I asked the flower but it did not reply,
Scattering petals flying and passed over the hanging swing.
"庭院深深深几许？
杨柳堆烟，帘幕无重数。
玉勒雕鞍游冶处，
楼高不见章台路。　
雨横风狂三月暮，
门掩黄昏，无计留春住。
泪眼问花花不语，
乱红飞过秋千去。"

秦观 (Poet Qin Guan 1049-1100)
踏沙行(Ta Sha Xing)
The chamber disappeared into the fog;
Moon was lost above the crossed ferry.
Toward the Peach Garden in the lost land,
I desperately searched her access road.
What a lonely chamber, shut and closed,
In the early spring, still enduring the cold.
Only the song of cuckoo accompanied us
Till the sun declined, another evening call.

The plum flower for the postman to send;
Silk letter in the carps’ mouth that delivered.
Pile of my thoughts stacked on myself
Are just endless sorrows, I cannot shake off.
The river Cheng liberally flowed in joy and bliss,
Circling the mountain of her same surname.
But for whom she must turn, and flow away,
To Xiao Xiang river, that a different name?
"雾失楼台，月迷津度，
桃源望断无寻处。
可堪孤馆闭春寒，
杜鹃声里斜阳暮。　
驿寄梅花，鱼传尺素，
砌成此恨无重数。
郴江幸自郴山，
为谁流下潇湘去！

陶潜 (Poet Tao Qian 365-427)
饮酒诗 第五首 (Drink Poem #5)
Build my house in the town,
but I can’t hear traffic sound.
I ask myself how this can be:
my heart is far so my place’s remote.
Pick chrysanthemum under east hedgerow,
And leisurely view the south hills.
Smell the fragrance of hill day to dusk,
Watching flying birds gather in return.
Among all these buried a true sense,
I wish to tell but no word to describe.
结庐在人境，而无车马喧。
问君何能尔，心远地自偏。
采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。
山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。
此中有真意，欲辨已忘言。

元好问 (Poet Yuan Hao Wen 1190-1257)
颖亭留别 (Farewell by Glume Booth)
Again old friends we must separate our carrying,
By the river we stationed our returning horses.
Heaven and earth exhibit their clear distance,
All scenes are seemed in debt to each other.
Nine mountains lofty and steep stand gloomily,
They would never suffer override or bestride.
Cold current rise wave after wave,
And white birds leisurely soar and land.
A homeward heart rushes the person,
But all matters rest in a relaxed form.
Our pot and vessels and our cry and howl,
Make the dust and dirt to grieve and sigh.
I look back to see the person in the booth
Among the even forest in fade color, all as painting.
故人重分携，临流驻归驾。
乾坤展清眺，万景若相借。
北风三日雪，太素秉元化。
九山郁峥嵘，了不受陵跨。
寒波澹澹起，白鸟悠悠下。
怀归人自急，物态本闲暇。
壶觞负吟啸，尘土足悲咤。
回首亭中人，平林淡如画。



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