qiu jin — IX
I have not been able to find all of Qiu Jin’s floral poems yet what I have found, however, intrigues me. I am sure if I knew more about Chinese poetry and various themes and motifs that run through it I might understand a bit better the references she is using; however the idea of flowers being fierce warrior spirits delights me. I had a lot of help with these poems from my friend in Beijing, Linnypooh. No one works in a void and I must thank her for her assistance.
What I am really excited about is a book that I ordered last week from the Reed College Library in Portland, Oregon, has come in. “Ch’iu Chin Chi” which means “The Complete Writings of Qiu Jin.” Now I have access to everything she ever wrote, most of which has never been translated into English (to the best of my knowledge). Oh happy days!
秋海棠
栽植恩深雨露同，一丛浅淡一丛浓。
平生不借春光力，几度开来斗晚风？"Begonia"
To the heavy rain planting a flower
is a good thing; the color of each bloom
will vary from pale to dark. But this
flower never takes help from the springtime
sun to bloom; since its blossoms are
always beneath the cold wind.
These notes I quote here are taken from personal correspondences with Linnypooh. She writes: "The word for wind here symbolizes the darkness of the society, while the begonia symbolizes Qiujin who is an independent fighter, doesn't need any help but confronts the darkness bravely."
杜鹃花
杜鹃花发杜鹃啼，似血如朱一抹齐。
应是留春留不住，夜深风露也寒凄。"Azalea"
When the Azalea flower blooms, the cuckoo cries
its scarlet color looks like it was brushed
onto the paper.But no matter how the cuckoo cries it's impossible
to keep springtime here; maybe that's the reason
for the midnight wind and chilly dew?
Again she notes: "Qiujin here was trying to express a helpless feeling. The Cuckoo symbolized those warriors who were trying very hard to save the 'Spring' of the country, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make the 'Spring' stay."
残菊
岭梅开后晓风寒，几度添衣怕倚栏。
残菊犹能傲霜雪，休将白眼向人看。"Surviving Chrysanthemum"
You'll know coldness when it comes
to the Sika blooming on the mountain;
useless to add more clothing you’ll
always feel the cold. Yet the surviving
chrysanthemum doesn't fear the frost
or the snow or the glare from people
with such haughty expressions.
According to Linnypooh the Sika is a flower that blooms on the mountain sides.
独向东风舞楚腰，
为谁颦恨为谁娇？
灞陵桥畔销魂处，
临水傍堤万万条。"Woven Limbs of Willow"
You only dance to the east wind
when you show off your slender
waist; who are you frowning
at? Who are you smiling to?The Ba Ling Bridge is a place
filled with heartbreaking emotions;
where thousands and thousand
of pieces of woven limbs
of willow are left along the river.
Linnypooh wrote this morning, “Ba Ling Qiao used to be the place for people of Tang Dynasty to say farewell to their friends, and especially, they would cut willow wicker off as a farewell gift.” The literal translation of "liu tiao" is indeed "willow wicker," but that sounded like a beginning of a tongue twister to me. I like the image of thousands of hand-crafted wicker farewell gifts left along a river; however, "woven limbs of willow" seemed easier, a bit more graceful. I can always change it if I am losing something in the translation.