Tune: Silk-Washing Stream, Broken Form Li Qing Zhao (1084-1156) 江紹倫譯Following extended illness grey hair on my temples easily seen
In my sick bed I see the waning moon through the window screen
Why boil water burning twigs with cardouron seeds
For taking medicine no need
On pillows poetry books are best placed for convenient reading
Outside my door the scenery is best when raining
I enjoy my neighbour’s wines and caring
Osmanthus flowers
may i please leave my rendition below for comments (though i tend to interpret the second last verse of the original ci differently).
【攤破浣溪沙】(病起蕭蕭兩鬢華) 李清照
病起蕭蕭兩鬢華，臥看殘月上窗紗。
豆蔻連梢煎熱水，莫分茶。
枕上詩書閒處好，門前風景雨來佳。
終日向人多醞藉，木犀花。
Tune: (Broken Form) Clothes-Washing Stream
(In my illness my temple hair) Li Qingzhao (1084-1156)
In my illness. my temple hair’s turning gray (in pain);
In sick bed, I watch through window-screen moon on the wane.
Brewing nutmeg herbal med’cine that agrees with me —
I had better not to drink tea.
Leaning on my pillow reading po’try in leisure,
The front door fine scene in the rain affords much pleasure.
Tenderly facing me all day —
O My osmanthus flowers gay.
frank
sorry, the title of this ci should indeed be ‘Silk-Washing Stream’, as 沙 or 紗
is ‘silk’ or ‘cotton’.
frank