Xiang Jiang Yuan(湘江怨), also known as “Xiang Fei Yuan(湘妃怨)”, the Chinese Guqin(古琴) song. (Different from Yuan Qu’s “Xiang Fei Yuan”). The song was described from the Ming Dynasty in 1590, a classic book “Qin Shu Da Qian(琴书大全)”. Song described such a legend: Shun(Emperor) collapsed in the wild, his two concubine e emperor, female Ying is very sad, crying tears dripping on the bamboo, leaving a piece of bamboo on the tears of tears, future generations named this kind of bamboo as “Xiang Fei bamboo”.
1. (7+7) x 4
落 花 落 葉 落 紛 紛；落 日 思 君 不 見 君。
Luo hua luo ye luo fen fen; luo ri si jun bu jian jun.
Falling flowers, falling leaves, falling and scattering;
with the setting sun I think of my lord, but don’t see him.
腸 斷 斷 腸 腸 欲 斷；淚 珠 痕 上 更 添 痕。
Chang duan duan chang chang yu duan; lei zhu hen shang bian tian hen.
Heartbreak, break-heart, heart about to break;
tears like pearls leave traces, then add even more traces.
一 片 白 雲 青 山 內；一 片 白 雲 青 山 外。
Yi pian bai yun qing shan nei; yi pian bai yun qing shan wai.
A layer of white clouds in front of the green mountains;
another layer of white clouds behind the green mountains.
青 山 內 外 有 白 雲；白 雲 飛 去 青 山 在。
Qing shan nei wai you bai yun; bai yun fei qu qing shan zai.
Green mountains, front and back, have white clouds;
the white clouds fly away, but the green mountains remain.
我 有 一 片 心； 無 人 共 我 說。
Wo you yi pian xin; wu ren gong wo shuo.
I have just one heart; there’s no one with me to speak.
願 風 吹 散 雲； 訴 與 天 邊 月。
Yuan feng chui san yun; su yu tian bian yue.
I’d like the wind to blow, and scatter the clouds;
so then I could complain to the moon at the edge of the sky.
攜 琴 上 高 樓； 樓 高 月 華 滿。
Xi qin shang gao lou; lou gao yue hua man.
I bring my qin up onto a high tower;*
the tower is high and filled with moonlight.
相 思 彈 未 終； 淚 滴 冰 絃 斷。
Xiang si tan wei zhong; lei di bing xian duan.
Feeling this love, my playing is not finished;
tears fall and a smooth as ice string breaks.
人 道 湘 江 深； 未 抵 相 思 半。
Ren dao Xiang Jiang shen; wei di xiang si ban.
People say the Xiang River is deep;
but it cannot reach half of my love.
海 深 終 有 底； 相 思 無 邊 岸。
Hai shen zhong you di; xiang si wu bian an.
The sea is deep but in the end it has a bottom;
my love has no boundary or limit.
君 在 湘 江 頭； 妾 在 湘 江 尾。
Jun zai Xiang Jiang tou; qie zai Xiang Jiang wei.
The man at the Xiang River’s head;
his lady at the Xiang River’s mouth.
相 思 不 相 見； 同 飲 湘 江 水。
Xiang si bu xiang jian; tong yin Xiang Jiang shui.
Able to love but not to meet;
both drinking the Xiang River’s water.
夢 魂 飛 不 到； 所 欠 惟 一 死。
Meng hun fei bu dao; suo qian wei yi si.
Dreaming of a spirit flying but unable to arrive;
what is lacking is only death.
入 我 相 思 門； 知 我 相 思 苦。(Compare these three lines to part two of the 1709 Qiu Feng Ci)
Ru wo xiang si men; zhi wo xiang si ku.
To enter the gate of my love;
is to know my love’s bitterness.
長 相 思 兮 長 相 憶； 短 相 思 兮 無 盡 極。
Chang xiang si xi chang xiang yi; duan xiang si xi wu jin ji.
Everlasting love (means) everlasting remembrance;
even love cut short has no limit.
早 知 如 此 絆 人 心； 何 不 當 初 莫 相 識。
Zao zhi ru ci ban ren xin; he bu dang chu mo xiang zhi.
If from the start I’d known that I’d so fetter my heart;
how could I have not at the beginning avoided getting involved?
湘 江 湘 水 碧 澄 澄； 未 抵 相 思 一 半 深。 Xiang Jiang Xiang Shui bi deng deng; wei di xiang si yi ban shen.
The Xiang River’s water is blue, settled and clear;
but it does not reach half the depth of my love.
每 向 夢 中 相 見 後； 令 人 不 覺 痛 傷 心。
Mei xiang meng zhong xiang jian hou; ling ren bu jue tong shang xin.
Always, after dreaming of meeting you;
I have felt unimaginable pain and distress.
