A Farewell Toast to Shugu at Youmei Hall 虞美人·有美堂赠述古

A Farewell Toast to Shugu at Youmei Hall

--to the ci tune “Spring River”

Chinese original: Su Shi

English version: Julia Min (Nov. 2024)

The best view of River South is from the Hall—

a painting of lakes, rivers, and hills unrolled.

When will Hangzhou honour your return call?

Parting is such sweet sorrow—so cheers to all.

Look: the street lights vibe up Riversdale view;

Listen: the night song rhymes with “River Tune”.

Let’s roam the moonlit river like blue crystal

when night seals a slumber in a serene world.

Notes:

1. The Southeast: Youmei Hall faces Hangzhou's southeast, home to the city's finest landscapes and most prosperous streets.

2. "Parting is such sweet sorrow": Borrowed from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this oxymoron creates a stronger artistic effect. Parting stretches the bonds of life, and the sorrow is tinged with the sweetness of memories. It anticipates a future reunion.

3. "River Tune": A particular musical mode for ci lyrics.

4. "the night seals a slumber": Borrowed from William Wordsworth's poem "A slumber did my spirit seal" (1798).

5. Blue crystal: Dark blue crystal is associated with humanity, discretion, and honour. Its calm energy invites spiritual awakening, serenity, and tranquillity.

   
   

Analysis:

This is a ci poem composed at a farewell party for Su Shi's superior and friend Chen Xiang (1017–1080 CE; social name "Shugu"). At the time, Shugu was the governor, while Su Shi, in his late thirties, served as the secretary-general and magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture. Both belonged to the old party (or the shadow party) opposing the new party. The New Laws had been enacted, and the Royal Court was crowded with Wang Anshi's followers, while Chen Xiang and Su Shi were assigned to posts away from the capital.

Hangzhou has always been a most desirable place for its landscape beauty, with lakes and rivers intertwined with rolling hills. It is a land of promise, renowned as "China's Warehouse of Grains," "The Land of Fish and Rice," and "Earthly Paradise"—and I would add to the list: "a land of romance and poetry." Chen Xiang, twenty years older, deeply valued Su Shi's talents. They entertained each other by creating new works using the same rhyming patterns and song tunes. They shared a political ambition: to raise the quality of life in the local area to the highest possible level during their time in office. Indeed, they solved historical problems through engineering projects addressing the city's water supply and the West Lake blockage. A thousand years later, a most popular tourist destination still honours its achievements—the Lord Su Causeway. Moreover, when Su Shi returned as governor a decade later, he built the world's first hospital, where even prisoners were treated without discrimination.

This short ci lyric is a song of praise, but in a most implicit way. The first stanza invites readers into a beautiful setting before introducing the theme of farewell, suggesting that the people of Hangzhou will miss Shugu. The second stanza presents a prosperous cityscape, suggesting that under Shugu's governance, the people of Hangzhou enjoy a peaceful and gracious life. The last two lines convey dual messages, referring to the engineering projects and to Shugu's devotion to the people's cause—a spirit as pure as a crystal-blue river beneath the bright moon. Indeed, both men contributed significantly to the success of the projects. Su Shi wished that both of them would maintain the same spirit throughout their future official careers.

虞美人·有美堂赠述古

原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）

湖山信是东南美，

一望弥千里。

使君能得几回来，

便使尊前醉倒、且徘徊。

沙河塘里灯初上，

水调谁家唱。

夜阑风静欲归时，

惟有一江明月、碧琉璃。

Reference:

1. m.gushiwen.cn(古诗文网）