STUDY IN CHINA GLOBAL (SCG)江城子 · 密州出猎
原作：【宋】苏轼
英译：戈登.奥赛茵、闵晓红
老夫聊发少年狂，
左牵黄，右擎苍，
锦帽貂裘，
千骑卷平冈。
为报倾城随太守，
亲射虎，看孙郎。
酒酣胸胆尚开张，
鬓微霜，又何妨？
持节云中，
何日遣冯唐？
会挽雕弓如满月，
西北望，射天狼。
Hunting Outside Mizhou
-to the tune of Jiangchengzi
trans. by Gordon Osing and Julia Min
This old boy’s truly young at heart and mind.
My left hand’s led by a retriever, a falcon on my right.
In coats of fur and hats of brocade we ride.
Thousands of hoofbeats swept the hills in sight.
I’d shoot a tiger like Sun Quan the heroic archer,
to treat the whole town following to the site.
My old heart becomes fearless again, fired with wine.
What does it matter if frost covers my temples high.
When would Feng Tang be sent with the tally
to save this governor who’s ready to fight?
Like the full moon I’d pull the bow round and tight.
Northwest I aim, I’d shoot the Sirius right!
Appreciation:
This ci describes the governor and his friends hunting on their festive tour back from a sacrificial ceremony. It is one of the poet’s most robust ci with the subject being very personal and dramatic. The reader might also take note of the poet’s pleasure in public leadership, “the
governor” here is clearly in his metier. Su Shi’s pleasure in this moment is, in fact and spirit, the same as his claim to consideration for further opportunity to the Imperial Court in the capital.
Notes:
① Another title of this ci poem is “On Hunting.”“Mizhou” in the title is in today’s Jucheng
County, Shandong Province.
③ “lao fu” this old man, referring to himself at the time when he was forty years old.
④ “sun lang” refers to Sun Quan of the Three Kingdoms Period, who was famous for hunting
on horseback, especially for his driving off a tiger by throwing his empty weapon in its face
in a famous episode in folklore. Like his father, Sun Quan was considered as one of the
best archers at the time.
⑤ “jie” refers to a tally issued by the emperor to generals and envoys.
A tally offered to Yunzhong would be one for the Yunzhong Prefecture in the Han
Dynasty, a county in Inner Mongolia today.
⑥ “feng tang” the governor of Yunzhong (under Emperor Wen of han) who defeated an
invasion by the Huns. When asked to report the tally of enemies killed, the governor
exaggerated the number by six and was disgraced and sentenced to heavy punishment,
including the loss of his governorship. Feng Tang, who interceded on behalf of the governor
for the return of his post, arranged for a second, true tally to be brought forth and the episode
became famous for dramatizing honesty in government.
⑦ “tian lang” refers to Sirius, the brightest star in the northwest sky from where our poet had
the event. It is used here as a symbol for the invaders, mainly the Mongols.
Pinyin and word-for-word translation:
jiāng chéng zǐ . mì zhōu chū liè – to the tune of Jiangchengzi (outside Mizhou hunting)
lǎo fū liáo fā shǎo nián kuáng – old man is being in youth’s exuberate spirit;
zuǒ qiān huáng ，yòu qíng cāng – left hand lead yellow hunting dog, right hold eagle;
jǐn mào diāo qiú – silk brocade cap marten coat,
qiān qí juàn píng gāng – thousand horses sweep smooth the ridge;
wéi bào qīng chéng suí tài shǒu – to thank the whole city follow the governor;
qīn shè hǔ ，kàn sūn láng – myself shoot tiger, let people see Sun Chuan;
jiǔ hān xiōng dǎn shàng kāi zhāng – heated wine with breast bravery still open;
bìn wēi shuāng ，yòu hé fáng ？- temples slightly frosty, what does it matter;
chí jiē yún zhōng – hold a tally to Yunzhong;
hé rì qiǎn féng táng ？- what day send Feng Tang;
huì wǎn diāo gōng rú mǎn yuè – would draw carved bow like a full moon;
xī běi wàng ，shè tiān láng – northwest looking shoot Sirius Star;
