行香子 . 秋与 The Message of Autumn

juliamin4
May 8
2 min read

The Message of Autumn

--to the tune of Xingxiangzi

written by Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Dongpo')

En. trans. by Julia Min (May.2025)

The first message of autumn is the parasol

when last night her leaves turned yellow.

The Wind also found me lost in the frost.

He greeted me, asking why so sick and old.

Speechless, with fingers in the air, I wrote:

“seized by sickness,

lost in drinking, and

fallen with my lazy soul.”

This morning, I woke up to a falling world.

The courtyard is covered like a snow field.

It could be the Wind’s wordless response,

that I’m getting to the end of my life cycle.

No hope, so let my world be the drink I fill,

soaked in wine,

dazed in sight, and

watching the candle wick flowering alone.

For Appreciation:

Autumn frost and wind in Chinese literature are usually associated with a helpless shifting from one’s young days or prime years to old age. The sentiments here reflect Dongpo’s melancholy over his life and health situation, and his despair for his political ambition. It was most likely composed after the death of his concubine and soul mate Zhaoyun ( 妾 -王朝云) during his second banishment, which was further to the south border town of Huizhou (today’s Huizhou, Guangdong Province). His readership can feel shocked, as we know he was not a man easily crushed, though he had every reason to feel so depressed. The optimistic Dongpo was always able to get back on his feet quickly. At least he could find consolation in some local cuisine and drinks with friends. I assume it was really bad this time that he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to give it all up now that his world was gone forever with the wind. Little did he realise that this pessimistic mood attracted something even worse later - his 3rd banishment to a most desolate place, Hainan Island, known as the ‘End of the World’.

行香子 . 秋与

原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）

英译及赏析: 闵晓红(2025)

昨夜霜风, 先入梧桐。

浑无处、回避衰容。

问公何事，不语书空。

但一回醉，一回病，一回慵；

朝来庭下，飞英如霰，

似无言、有意伤侬。

都将万事，付与千钟。

任酒花白，眼花乱，烛花红。

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