Shui diao ge tou

Shui diao ge tou ( Chinese 水調歌頭 / 水调歌头 , Pinyin Shuǐ diào gē tóu ) is the name of a rhyme scheme , which in the Ci poem 水調歌頭 · 丙辰中秋 / 水调歌头 · 丙辰中秋 , Shuǐdiào gētóu - Bǐngchén zhōngqiū by the poet Su Shi of the Song Dynasty . There are different Ci, all of which have the same name, the rhyme scheme, Shui diao ge tou; of these, that of Su Shi is the most famous.

Text of the poem

Characters		Pinyin	German translation
Long characters	Abbreviation	Pinyin	German translation
水調歌頭	水调歌头	Shǔidiào Gētóu	title
丙辰中秋，歡飲達旦，大醉。作此篇，兼懷子由。	丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉。作此篇，兼怀子由。	Bǐngchén Zhōngqiū, huān yǐn dá dàn, dà zuì. Zuò cǐ piān, jiān huái Zǐyóu.	In the year of Bingchen for the moon festival , we celebrated in deep intoxication until dawn . I wrote this text while thinking of Ziyou.
明月幾時有？把酒問靑天。不知天上宮闕，今夕是何年？	明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年？	Míng yuè jǐ shí yǒu? Bǎ jiǔ wèn qīngtiān. Bú zhī tiān shàng gōngquè, jīn xī shì hé nián.	Bright moon when did you appear Over some wine, I asked heaven. Nobody in the Palace of Heaven knows what year this evening is.
我欲乘風歸去，唯恐瓊樓玉宇，高處不勝寒。起舞弄淸影，何似在人間！	我欲乘风归去，唯恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间！	Wǒ yù chéngfēng guīqù, wéi kǒng qiónglóu yùyǔ, gaōchù bú shēng hán. Qǐwǔ nòng qīngyǐng, hé sì zài rénjiān.	I want to ride home on the wind but I hide in the moon palace as if I could not bear the cold above. So I dance in the shadow of the moonlight, this human world - how can I compare it to yours?
轉朱閣，低綺戶，照無眠。不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？	转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？	Zhuǎn zhū gé, dī qǐ hù, zhào wú mián. Bú yīng yǒu hèn, hé shì cháng xiàng bíe shí yuán?	Rotating red chambers lowered fabric windows, you shine on the sleepless. You don't want to harm us, but why are you so full when people are apart?
人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。但願人長久，千里共嬋娟。	人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。	Rén yǒu bēi huān lí hé, yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē, cǐ shì gǔ nán quán. Dàn yuàn rén zhángjiǔ, qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān.	People have sorrow and joy, separation and gathering, The moon has dark and clear, full and half [times], things like that have always been complicated. But I hope we both live long lives, even if we are a thousand miles apart, as we can enjoy the beauty of the moon together.

Notes on the poem

↑ The translation is not verbatim and partially provides interpretations of the text. This is always necessary when translating such texts, because due to the poetic style, subjects are often left out or ellipses are formed. It may therefore be that another source translates the poem completely differently.
↑ The title of old poems is the same as the rhyme scheme, so that several poems with the same title can exist.
↑ Poems of this time did not use punctuation marks, the punctuation used here is adapted to the translation.
↑ 丙辰 : What is meant here is the year 丙辰 , Bǐngchén of the 62nd cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar , according to the Gregorian calendar around the year 1076.
↑ 子由 : Nickname of Su Che ( 蘇轍 / 苏辙 , Sū Chè ), Su Shi's younger brother, also a famous author. At the time, Su Che was in Jinan and Su Shi was in Mizhou , and they haven't seen each other for seven years.

↑ As a variation, 又 , yòu is sometimes used here , but that doesn't change the meaning.

↑ 嬋娟 / 婵娟 : "Chanjuan" is a synonym for the moon or a beautiful woman. At this point the beautiful moon goddess Chang'e is meant, for which the author uses this description due to a taboo .

Dubbing

In 1983 the Taiwanese composer Liang Hongzhi ( 梁弘誌 / 梁弘志 , Liáng Hóngzhì ) composed a melody for this song, which she named " Dan yuan ren changjiu " ( 但願人長久 / 但愿人长久 , dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ , English Wishing We Last Forever ) with singing by Teresa Teng in an album called " Dandan youqing " ( 淡淡幽情 , Dàndàn Yōuqíng - "Light, quiet feeling"), which also includes other poems from the Tang dynasty and song Dynasty is filled. This setting made the poem really well known, so that many singers such as Faye Wong and Jacky Cheung covered this song.

More poems of the rhyme scheme

In June 1956 Mao Zedong wrote his poem " Youyong " ( 游泳 , yóuyǒng - "swim"), which is also based on this rhyme scheme.

Web links and sources

Wikisource: Poems of this rhyme scheme - sources and full texts (Chinese)

↑ "Swimming"

[1] The translation is not verbatim and partially provides interpretations of the text. This is always necessary when translating such texts, because due to the poetic style, subjects are often left out or ellipses are formed. It may therefore be that another source translates the poem completely differently.

[2] The title of old poems is the same as the rhyme scheme, so that several poems with the same title can exist.

[3] Poems of this time did not use punctuation marks, the punctuation used here is adapted to the translation.

[4] 丙辰 : What is meant here is the year 丙辰 , Bǐngchén of the 62nd cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar , according to the Gregorian calendar around the year 1076.

[5] 子由 : Nickname of Su Che ( 蘇轍 / 苏辙 , Sū Chè ), Su Shi's younger brother, also a famous author. At the time, Su Che was in Jinan and Su Shi was in Mizhou , and they haven't seen each other for seven years.

[6] As a variation, 又 , yòu is sometimes used here , but that doesn't change the meaning.

[7] 嬋娟 / 婵娟 : "Chanjuan" is a synonym for the moon or a beautiful woman. At this point the beautiful moon goddess Chang'e is meant, for which the author uses this description due to a taboo .

[8] "Swimming"