Anthology of chinese literature owen pdf

An Anthology of Ill

Chinese Literature

BEGINNINGS TO 1911

Edited and Translated by

Stephen Owen

W. W. NO RTON & COM PA NY

NEW YORK • LONDON

Copyright© 1996 by Stephen Owen and The Council for Cultural Planning and Development of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China

jacket art: "The Nymph of the Lo River" by Wei Chiu-ting is reproduced with the permission of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Since this pa~e cannot legibly accommodate all the copyright notices, pages 1165-66 constitute dn extension of the copyright page.

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

The text of this book is composed in Sabon with the display set in Optima Composition by Com Com Manufacturing by Haddon Craftsmen Book design by joan "Greenfield

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publ ication Data

An anthology of Chinese literature : beginnings to 1911 I edited and translated by Stephen Owen.

p. em. Translations from Chinese. Includes bibl iographical references and index. ISBN 0-393-03823-8 1. Chinese literature-Translations into English. I. Owen,

Stephen. P1 2658.E1 A814 1996 895.1 '08-dc20 95-11409

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 http ://web. wwnorton .com W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., 10 Coptic Street, London WC1 A 1 PU

Contents

Si-ma Qian (ca. 145-ca. 85 B.c.) 135

Letter in Reply to Ren An 136 The Biography of Bo Yi and Shu Qi 142 The Prince of Wei 145 from "Biographies of the Assassins": Nie Zheng 152

The Chu-ci: "Lyrics of Chu" 155 "The Nine Songs" 156

The Sovereign of the East: The One (Dong-huang Tai-yi) 156 Lord in the Clouds (Yun-zhong jun) 156 The Lady of the Xiang River (Xiang jun) 157 The Senior Master of Lifespans (Da si-ming) 158 The Junior Master of Lifespans (Shao-si-ming), "Lord Iris" 158 The Lord of the East (Dong-jun) 159 The Yellow River's Earl (He-bo) 160 The Hill Wraith (Shan gui) 160 The Kingdom's Dead (Guo-shang) 161 Rites for Souls (Li hun) 162

The Li Sao 162

The Chu-ci Tradition 176 Journeys Heavenly and Earthly 176

Far Roaming 176 Si-ma Xiang-ru (179-117 B.c.), The Great One 182 Ruan Ji (A.D. 210-263), Songs of My Cares LXVIII 184 Sun Chuo (314-371), Wandering to the Tian-tai Mountains 185

The Encounter with the Goddess 189 Song Yu (attributed), The Poetic Exposition on

Gao-tang (opening) 189 The Goddess 190

Cao Zhi (192-232), The Goddess of the Luo 194

Other Voices in the Tradition 198 Pei Xing (825-880), "Accounts of Marvels" (Chuan-qi): Xiao Kuang

(opening section) 198 Wang Wei (ca. 699-761), Songs for the Goddess' Shrine on

Fish Mountain 199 Song Welcoming the Goddess 199 Song Sending the Goddess on Her Way 199

Li He (790-816), String Music for the Gods 199 Wen Ting-yun (d. 866), Written on the Temple of Mount Xiao 200 Guan-xiu (832-912), Shrine by the River 200 SuShi (1037-1101), Wu Mountain 201

IX

Anthology of Chinese Literature

194

Cao Zhi (192-232), The Goddess of the Luo

In the third year of the Huang-chu Reign, A.D. 222, I had gone to the capi- tal to attend court, and on my return I forded the Luo River. There is an an- cient legend that the goddess of this river is named Fu-fei. Touched by Song Yu's response to what occurred between the King of Chu and the goddess, I myself composed the following poetic exposition.

I was on my return from the capital back to my eastern domain, Yi Tower Peak lay behind me as I passed over Huan-yuan Hill, then made my way through Tong Valley, and crossed up over Mount Jing. The sun was bending down to the west, my carriage slowed, the horses balked. I unhitched my team by spikenard flats and set them to graze on asphodel fields. I rambled at ease in the Grove of Sunshine, and my gaze swept over the River Luo.

At that moment,

my soul shuddered, my spirit was startled, in an instant all thoughts were dispersed: looking down I could make out nothing, but I raised my head and beheld a marvel. I spied a lovely woman there at the side of the steep slope.

I then seized my driver and asked him: "Did you catch sight of her? Who was she, to be so beguiling?" And my driver answered me: "They say that the goddess of the Luo goes by the name of Fu-fei. It must have been her that you saw. I would like to hear what she looked like." Whereupon I told him:

Her form:

swept along lightly like startled swan, was sinuous as the swimming dragon, shimmering like sheen on fall's chrysanthemums, splendid like pines that swell in the spring. She was a blur as when pale clouds form a film on the moon, she floated through air as when winds send snow swirling.

When I gazed on her from afar,

she shone like the sun through morning clouds mounting;

when nearer I viewed her,

she glowed like a lotus coming out of clear waves.

She achieved the mean between slender and stout, between tall and short she met the right measure. Her shoulders seemed hewn to perfection, her waist was tight as if bound with white silk. When she stretched her neck, the throat was fair, and her radiant flesh was displayed, unassisted by aromatic lotions and with no powder lending it aid. Her hair coiled high in lofty clouds, and long brows formed delicate arches. Scarlet lips on the outside luminous, with shining teeth gleaming within. Her bright eyes cast wondrous glances, dimples stood close by her cheekbones. A rare bearing, alluring, aloof, her manner was poised, her body calm. With tender feeling and lovely expression, her speech was enthralling.

Her singular garb was unique in these times, her figure well fitted what we find pictured. She wore a gown of shimmering gauze, in her ears were gems cut cunningly; her head was adorned with feathers and jade, and strung pearls made her body sparkle. She wore patterned slippers for roaming far, she trailed light sleeves of misty mesh. Through a filmy aromatic haze of orchids she paced, then paused on the fold of the hill.

All at once she broke loose, moving wild and free, she skipped and cavorted here and there, she leaned on bright streamers to her left, to her right she was shadowed by cassia flags. She bared bright wrists on those sacred shores, and from seething shallows picked purple asphodel.

Thus my heart took delight in unblemished beauty; the mind, swept away, could feel no cheer. Lacking go-between to let our loves meet, I trusted soft glance-waves to carry my words. I wished my true feelings would be conveyed, I untied my jade pendants to win her. She possessed such beauty, she was truly fair, familiar with custom, she knew the Poems:

Early China

195

Anthology of Chinese Literature

she raised jasper bangles to answer me, and made signs to the deeps where we should meet. For her I felt a single-minded passion, but feared that this spright might beguile me. Troth to Jiao-fu broken touched on my heart,Z I paused, deeply troubled, and doubted. I composed my face and calmed my will, I pled custom's restraints and mastered myself.

Then the Luo Spirit too was much touched; she lingered long in her hesitation. The goddess' nimbus carne and went, sometimes in shadow, sometimes bright. Like a crane her light body stood poised and tall, as if ready for flight, not yet taking wing. She walked in billowing scents of pepper tree paths, stepped through swirling odors of spikenard clumps. Then carne a long moan of eternal desire, a voice that was sharp, and pained, and lingering on.

The hosts of spirits massed in their multitudes, calling and whistling each to companions. Some went frisking in the clear currents, and some soared off by the goddess' isles, some went down to pick the bright pearls, some went gathering kingfisher plumes With the Xiang River Maidens they headed south, or held hands with those girls who roam the Han's shores.

She sighed that the Pao-gua Star lacked a mate, she sang how the Herder lived alone. Her light blouse rose, it fluttered in breeze, her long sleeves hid her, standing there long. Her body, more fleet than ducks in their flight, flitted past in a puff, like the goddess she was. Her delicate footsteps swept over the waves, and dust rose from her stockings of gauze. To her motions there was no set pattern: as if apprehensive, then as if at her ease. And her movements were hard to predict: she would seem to go off, then seem to turn back. When she turned her gaze sidelong, the spirit flowed, and light soaked those features so like jade. She held back her words, she would not speak, but her breath was like the aroma of orchids.

2Zheng jiao-fu encountered two nymphs by the river Han, who gave him their pendants as tokens of their troth, then vanished along with their pendants, leaving )iao-fu in despair.

196

There was in her glorious face such gentleness that it made me forget all about eating.

Then Ping-yi gathered back his winds, the Queen of the Waters stilled the waves. Ping-! made the drums sound out, while Nii Wa sang her clear, sharp song. Goldfish vaulted, warned of carriages coming, phoenix bells chimed as they all left together. With six dragons matched, their heads held even, cloud-coaches went off, swaying along. Great whales surged up on each side of the wheels, and the waterfowl soared around in escort.

They went off beyond by the northern shoals, then passed down by the hills to the south. It was there that she bent her pale neck round and sent back flashing glances. Her ruby lips stirred, and slowly she spoke, explaining the laws for mating with gods, and regretting how men and gods stood apart, grieved that no match could be made in my prime. Then she lifted gauze sleeves and wiped away tears that flowed in streams on the folds of her gown. "It is sad that our union is now lost forever, once gone, we must dwell in realms set apart. I have no way to show all the love in my heart, but I give you bright earrings from southern lands. Though I will dwell concealed in the shadow world, my heart will forever be yours, my prince." At once I could no longer grasp where she was; I grieved that the goddess had vanished, her light hidden.

And I went back down the heights of the hill; my feet left that place, but my spirit stayed. My love remained with the vision of her form, I looked back and gazed, my heart filled with pain. I wished that the Holy One take form again; I guided my skiff up against the current, I sailed the long river, forgot to turn back, my thoughts keeping on with growing yearning.

That night I was restless, I could not sleep, the heavy frosts soaked me, and then dawn broke. I ordered my driver to hitch up the carriage, I set off to go back on that eastward road. Then I pull up the reins and set by my whip, I hung there in sorrow, I could not go on.