Language:
情暈鏡
MIRROR HEART
Playlist of the Author's Cantonese Readings of the Original Text
Preface
Original Text
生涯中、情愫如雲。白雪秋葉與否、悲惻榮華相配色。作廿一絶句者、落葉所窺、霞光萬道、心提以目也。留筆之深墨內、為啓示之愁思。祈請看官、思忖拙集。此書而已、鄙人不宣。
Translation
In the course of life is distress and delight, whether in the stark snow or the autumn leaves, sorrow mingles with beauty. In these poems is captured the essence of sunlight shining through falling leaves. Imbued in the lamp-black ink of the brushwork is the deep longing for a revelation. From one reader to another, think on poetry.
From your humble servant, K.
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 1: Rushing Orchids
Original Text
【沖蘭】
速係風塵力望山、
葱蘢切旭想香蘭、
沖沖頂上離離浪、
亮一觀華對曼檀。
Translation
Swiftly seize the sky-born sand—employ strength to survey the precarious peaks
Verdant and virescent cutting the early sun—fragrant orchids seeking
Surging swiftly upward above the summit, distant and dense breaking waves
Casting light on vista’s glory, facing a stretched out sandalwood sea
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 2: Mansion of Dreams
Original Text
【夢宿】
千甜五味為常喜、
萬夢不成宿永眠、
日日于天心想發、
椿高下土滿甘蓮。
Translation
A thousand delicious flavours engenders long lasting joy
Countless dreams without realisation, lingering in an eternal repose
Day by day in the sky, passing thoughts surface and arise
The cedar esteems the lowly soil where the sweet lotus shows
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 3: Illumine Insight
Original Text
【明照】
刺鏡開容拒翳欲、
波揚赤錦等雙簪、
洋洋照細平生易、
烈骨明霓視玉嵌。
Translation
The mirror exposing her countenance, she obscures desire with a piercing look
Stealing a glance at gold-worked crimson brocade, with matching hairpins plays
Endlessly adrift in minute details, passing life in ease
Storm of emotion within, a rainbow without—the intricacy of carved jade
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 4: Spring Rain
Original Text
【春雨】
疏觀缺緩化青春、
暖雨萌苗步兩輪、
落落雲林吟詠句、
飛言像靈急行湍。
Translation
Even if keen insight lacks levity, it changes perspective to youth’s spring
Pleasantly warm rain makes the seedlings sprout—twice I paced in a ring
A cloud forest steadily falling away—reciting a verse in rhythm
The words that fly here and there are like spirits, in their likeness are the transient torrents tumbling
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 5: Stars of the Sky-River
Original Text
【河星】
徙倚含情居五更、
埋名暗閣向星河、
時時憶舊長天應、
燭耀窮人望愈初。
Translation
Swallowing my feelings in trouble and indecision, I linger in the dark morning hour
Burying a name in the shadowed gallery, toward the starry river
From time to time recalling the past, the vast sky answers me
Candles dazzle the desperate, hoping for the start of something better
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 6: Passing the Seasons
Original Text
【過季】
中流有鯽隨雄鳳、
過季強游舞百歌、
滾滾邊旋河岸歎、
驕奢合葬在鷹窩。
Translation
Within the current is a golden carp chasing after the valiant phoenix
Passing the seasons swimming in vigour, a dance of a hundred songs
Rolling and roiling with edges revolving, the riverbank sighs
Buried together at the hawk’s nest—pride and extravagance are gone
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 7: Hearty Solitude
Original Text
【康獨】
見笑如膠貼重顏、
熙來亂面食三饅、
林林美粉深杯飲、
壽杜康哉起獨山。
Translation
Being laughed at is like glue to a mirthless visage
Contentment arrives causing my face to blur—I gnaw three pastries even to the edge
Piles of fine flour like trees in a forest—I drink from a deep cup
Long life to the inventor of wine! You raise a lonely mountain ledge
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 8: Seeing Family
Original Text
【睛孝】
還親遠及由殘脚、
盡孝逃睛以敝盲、
悄悄無懷方外落、
思歸見感已收行。
Translation
Repaying my parents is surely out of reach, because of my crippled leg
By my dreadful blindness, filial service evades my sight
Sadly silent without anything to cherish, I fell beyond the world
Longing to go home if only to feel emotion, already at the journey’s final light
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 9: House Emptiness
Original Text
【屋空】
九十年來為影響、
鄉風舊屋已無情、
悠悠悴淚空心憶、
小子違交忘老兄。
Translation
Arriving at the age of ninety, becoming a shadow and an echo
Now without sentiment, a familiar house and the weather of my homeland
Uncertain and dwindling are the tears of grief, an empty heart reminisces
Little children avoid a stranger, forgetting this old man
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 10: Resonance of the Self
Original Text
【身響】
鐘樓又響反年經、
破廟安身擬出征、
蕩蕩黃河流浪樂、
沿霄一息望珠明。
Translation
The bell tower resounds ceaselessly, rebelling against the flow of time
In a dilapidated temple I take shelter, intent to set out without guide
The Yellow River rolls ever onward, drifting waves delighting
Looking at a pearl’s light in the distance, heading towards downstream respite by the sun-ring’s lines
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 11: Shaded Stones
Original Text
【陰石】
冷峽前陰分洞穴、
城垣照水曼微風、
油油石髓窮條本、
氣促何如昧澒濛。
Translation
The shade in front of a secluded gorge divides a cavernous grotto
The reflection of ramparts illuminates the water, casting afar a wind-wisp
Sleek smoothed stalactites stretch down desperately to the roots
What is the feeling of hurried breathing but passage through an enveloping mist
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 12: Submarine Emotions
Original Text
【沈情】
沈酣曜渺奔丹渚、
邂逅同心放宿思、
翊翊懸情歌舞信、
鴛鴦兩孛逆侵施。
Translation
Revelling in the scintillate expanse, racing towards the sun-flushed shore
A chance encounter with a like-minded soul, expressing my precious longing to the dregs
Aloft and above anxious feelings, dancing to the song of my vows
The loyal couple makes a pair of comets, confronting the invading army flags
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 13: Farmer’s Fields
Original Text
【農田】
日夕農停退野田、
纁裳被地鎮荒烟、
尋尋索隱相觀距、
切貫投明往遠邊。
Translation
Withdrawing from fallow fields, at dusk the farmers rest
The pink skirt of twilight covers the earth, against barren evening vapour tested
Endless searching for someone hidden, thinking of each other far away
Heading to the distant borderlands, cutting connections before dawn is best
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 14: Heavenly Hope
Original Text
【天望】
天涯我歇臻盈牧、
慮望西方想黑澄、
旆旆懷開槐樹語、
從災覺夢看清晶。
Translation
On the shores of the sky I rested for a while, having reached a plentiful pasture
Anticipating looking upon the western paradise, imagining an ink-black silent main
Rippling richly in the wind, close held memories open forth the tower-tree’s response
Reluctantly awakening from a dream, crystalline clarity reveals reality’s pains
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 15: Steaming a Fish
Original Text
【煎魚】
入屋煎魚同己食、
灰爐重響與前忱、
忉忉又慨郊蘆動、
郁醬如生注苦霖。
Translation
Let’s enter the house to cook a fish—eating a meal with only myself for company
The ashen stove sounds grave echoes with the sincerity of the long-gone past
When the reeds of the green glade sway inconsolable, again exhaling a forlorn sigh
Pour the pungent sauce—life bringing bitter, continuous rain at last
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 16: Harvesting Leaves
Original Text
【收葉】
收筵掃葉滅殘燈、
悟窅冥雲舉蔓藤、
靄靄斑朧康泰夜、
英熏萬物減多疼。
Translation
Put away the bamboo mats, sweep the fallen leaves, extinguish the dim lanterns’ shine
Now I am aware of inscrutable clouds lifting the creeping vines
In the faint moonlight, in the mottled cloud-wisps, is a healthy and peaceful night
The flower-blossoms clouded everything under the sky—relieving pain of every kind
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 17: Triumphant Steed
Original Text
【勝馬】
驟外康驪超遠域、
全天馬賞傍威元、
騤騤共鼓熙車湧、
特俠衝中勝大宛。
Translation
With vigour the sable steed gallops out in exuberance across the distant frontiers
Even against the imposing origin that all celestial horses respect, its measure is not found lacking
Together with the thundering drums—the glorious chariots surge ahead
Surpassing even the fabled horses of Ferghana, valiant to the extreme in the midst of attacking
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 18: Ascending the Empyrean
Original Text
【登霄】
登霄上震光天下、
極目不名禱灼昕、
灌灌常平同信懇、
涓泉爁焱屬祈神。
Translation
Ascending above the highest heaven—to one overwhelming the world of light with majesty
The limits of vision cannot capture devotion’s burning dawn
Perpetual peace abounds in floods, so entreaty with faith
Prayer with God—a bubbling wellspring and a roaring fire evoking song
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 19: The Emperor’s Balustrade
Original Text
【帝軒】
慢帝臨軒對嘯飄、
飛幢晦迹赴今宵、
恂恂自下生平翳、
月甲遮身出小苗。
Translation
The arrogant imperial veranda faces the howling gale
Flying pennants obscure my trail into exile—I throw myself into the current night-covered pale
Modest and unassuming is my humble self—from birth hidden from view
As scales of moonlight divide my body, from the cracks small sprouts spring hearty and hale
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 20: Bow and Arrow
Original Text
【矢弓】
彎弓閉瀨成清志、
指矢安心射白正、
慥慥修平憂慮走、
真如后羿醉辰形。
Translation
Bend the bow to stop up the rapids—fulfilling clear intention
Tilt the head towards the arrowshaft—to pacify the heart, shoot at the stark-white mark
With honest and sincere tranquillity cultivated, troubles and worries are swept away
Just like the lonely archer left to wander below, intoxicated with the heavenly bodies shining in the dark
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading
Quatrain 21: Birth of the Dawn
Original Text
【曉生】
曉谷凌空緣舊國、
聲關紫宙決高山、
洸洸士庶劻勷探、
美麗浮生可放潸。
Translation
Day breaks soaring high in the valley, scaling the edge of the familiar country
A sound folding up the purple firmament, breaking away from the high mountainside
People of all walks, brave and daring, seek in haste and agitation
This ephemeral destiny, beautiful and enchanting, allowing for sorrow’s tide
Original Text Read in Cantonese
English Translation Reading