Jiu Ge
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Jiu Ge (Chinese: 九歌; Pinyin: Jiǔ Gē; English: Nine Songs) is a set of short poems sometimes attributed to Qu Yuan and published in the Chu Ci (楚辭 Songs of Chu, sometimes Songs of the South). It is among the finest examples of shamanic poetry to have been created in ancient China.
Though it is called Jiu Ge, it actually includs eleven articles: Dong Huang Tai Yi (东皇太一), Yun Zhong Jun (云中君), Xiang Jun (湘君), Xiang Fu Ren (湘夫人), Da Si Ming (大司命), Shao Si Ming (少司命), Dong Jun (东君), He Bo (河伯), Shan Gui (山鬼), Guo Shang (国殇), Li Hun (礼魂). Jiu Ge is the collection of the sacrificial songs polished by Qu Yuan, thus it features mythological content and elegant imaginations. Jiu Ge is different from Qu Yuan's other works. Except Guo Shang, all other articles for various gods are either with dialogue or in prose style to express the love between gods that are designed with human nature and human. That must be the result of the influence of the love songs in that times.
国殇 操吴戈兮披犀甲,车错毂兮短兵接。 旌蔽日兮敌若云,矢交坠兮土争先。
凌余阵兮躐余行,左骖殪兮右刃伤。
霾两轮兮絷四马,援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。 天时懟兮威灵怒,严杀尽兮弃原野。 出不入兮往不反,平原忽兮路超远。 带长剑兮挟秦弓,首身离兮心不惩。
诚以勇兮又以武,终刚强兮不可凌。 身既死兮神以灵,魂魄毅兮为鬼雄。
Translation in english:
1.King of the sky(Dong Huang Tai Yi)
1 Strike the Dark Strings 2 Strike Strike 3 the dark strings 4 And reed & zither answer 5 Spirit moves 6 in splendid gear 7 And is the body's splendid shaman 8 through which a god may sing 9 And indeed does sing 10 And strikes and strikes 11 that Darkest Bell 12 ah darkest bell--- 13 my body struck 14 with love
2. Lord of Cloud (Mr. in the cloud)(Yun Zhong Jun)
15 Flower-spirit, shaman-child 16 in blaze of brightness dancing 17 Endless as the earth 18 She dances round it 19 As sun 20 As mantic moon 21 in dragon-chariot of sun 22 O endless flight! 23 Part of me climbs to heaven 24 through the four seas & seasons 25 Longing for you
3.Lord of Sun (Mr. East) (Dong Jun)
70 Lord Sun 71 wheels in flight 72 trailing his spirit-garment 73 High over the Nine Hills 74 he handles Yin & Yang 75 male & female 76 shade & sunshine 77 soul & body 78 a Yin for every Yang 79 And gallops into Light 80 I pluck the lovely hemp flower 81 Age creeps on apace 82 Soon all will be over 83 Soon all done all one 84 And fate is fixed in the heart 85 And not to draw nearer 86 is to drift forever 87 further apart
4. Lord of Xiang-river (Mr. Xiang)(Xiang Jun)
50 I build a bride-room 51 underwater 52 roof thatched with lotus 53 courtyard paved with murex 54 At dark dusk I cross 55 to the Western bank 56 Here it was 57 she cast down 58 her thin dress 59 upon the shore 60 Over the white nut grass 61 my eyes wander 62 see only water swirl 63 in the flood rains 64 Someone says my loved one sent for me 65 I gallop my horses 66 over the lotus leaves 67 toward where a dragon waits 68 toward where an elk browses 69 On the Mountain of Nine Doubts
5. Mrs. Xiang (Xiang Fu Ren)
26 She-shaman princess 27 in a stone boat 28 in winged dragon-boat 29 awning of fig-vine 30 sweet flag paddles 31 magnolia rudder 32 Rides to that Island 33 to that Bright Island 34 abode of light 35 Swinging her mesmere lamp 36 her incense burner 37 on a gold chain 38 She drops her thumb-ring in the Sea 39 And turning 40 and turning 41 stretches her body burning 42 toward me 43 (though she told me told me 44 she was not 45 free) 46 And flying dragons sweep her far away 47 from me 48 I gallop my horse in the morning 49 through the lowlands by the river
6. Master of Fate
102 A glow in the sky 103 and soon you'll arise 104 Night pales 105 Day shines forth 106 You ride on thunder wheels 107 cloud banners trailing 108 heave great sighs 109 look back yearning 110 for earth's beauty burning 111 look and linger 112 forget your way 113 I draw a long arrow 114 and shoot Heaven's Wolf 115 then draw me down the Dipper 116 And plunge alone into 117 the White Void
7. Young Master of Fate (Shao Si Ming)
88 Hall full of lovely ones 89 Yet you had eyes for me alone 90 Riding a whirlwind A cloud for a banner 91 Suddenly you came 92 And as suddenly departed 93 And only had eyes for me 94 I bathed with you 95 in the Pool of Heaven 96 In a sunny fold of the hill 97 I dried your hair 98 Now it is I who shout & sing with despair 99 Under a chariot-awning 100 of peacock feathers & halcyon flags 101 You climb again to the Nine Heavens
8. Spirit of mountains(Shan Gui)
135 Mountain Spirit left me alone 136 dark in a bamboo grove 137 Air dark with rain 138 Monkeys twitter again 139 cry all night again 140 And cry and cry 141 all night again 142 Waiting for you 143 I wander and linger 144 turn and turn 145 and turn again--- 146 And won't turn back 147 and won't turn back---
9. Count of Rivers (He Bo)
148 Without my beloved 118 With you wandered 119 down rivers and coasts 120 River God 121 in fish-scale boat 122 drawn by dragons 123 with griffin oarsmen 124 With you I wander 125 on the river islands 126 go with you as far 127 as the Southern Shore 128 Dark dusk falling 129 And I too sad 130 to think of returning 131 Eyes only for 132 that farthest shore 133 I lie awake 134 yearning
10. Spirits of warriors
11. End of ritual
Translation missing