LISTEN TO THE TEXT
LISTEN TO THE ANCIENT MUSIC AND THE POEM TO BE SUNG

Hi, friends, before I start my trip tomorrow morning, I would like to introduce a poem about sending-off by Wang Wei, the same author of the poem Red Bean Seeds -- Xiang Si.

In Chinese, the word 柳 -- liu3 -- willow, has the same sound as 留-- liu2, in English means "ask somebody to stay". So, in Chinese classical poems and literature, willow often relatives to the meaning of sending someone or want to someone stay for more time. So, if someone mentions something relatives willow, that means he/she is talking something about sending off or hope someone to stay much more time, this poem was just written with this background.

This is one of the most famous poems in Tang Dynasty (A.D.618 - A. D.907), as soon as it was written, it was sung and very popular at that times. It is also one of very few poems those have been kept its music until now, even though it is not the original one, but it was written in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) names "Yang Guan Sa Die" and this poem was sung three times in it and be added some the other words relative to sending off, to miss, to hope someone lucky, safe and so on... For helping you to remember the lyrics of the poem, I recorded the music and song as a data that was sung by someone whom I do not know for you and I do hope you to know something how a Chinese classical poem to be sung in the ancient times.

There are two versions of the titles of this poem, one is "Wei Cheng Qu3", means "A Farewell Song At Wei Cheng"; the other is "Song Yuan Er Shi3 An Xi", means "To Send Yuan Er to Go to Anxi As An Envoy". I think, the first one is easy to remember, so, I chose it for you. :-)

MAIN MEANING Of THE POEM LISTEN TO THE ANCIENT MUSIC AND THE POEM TO BE SUNG

A morning rain wetted the dust everywhere,
The inn and willows became more green and fresh.
Wish you drink another a cup of wine,
there will not be an old friend as soon as you go out of the west of the Yang Guan.

渭城曲/送元二使安西-- Wei4 Cheng2 Qu3/Song4 Yuan2 Er4 Shi3 Zhi4 An1 Xi1:

渭城朝雨?轻尘:Wei cheng2 chao2 yu3 yi4 qing1 chen2,
客舍青青柳色新:Ke4 she3 qing1 qing1 liu3 se4 xin1。
劝君更尽一杯酒:Quan4 jun1 geng4 jin4 yi, bei1 jiu3,
西出阳关无故人:xi1 chu1 yang2 guan1 wu2 gu4 ren2。

NEW WORDS:

渭城曲: A farewell song at Weicheng
渭城: Wei4 cheng2 ? place name, in today's Xian Yang in Shang Xi.
曲:qu3 -- music, song
送元二使安西:Song4 Yuan2 Er4 Shi3 Zhi4 An1 Xi1-- send Yuan Er to go to be an envoy in An Xi
送: song4 -- send, send off
元二: Yuan2 Er4 -- name of the friend of the poet
使: shi3 -- serve as an envoy, be sent on a diplomatic mission
安西: place name, in today's Kuche in Xing Jiang.
渭城朝雨?轻尘:Wei cheng2 chao2 yu3 yi4 qing1 chen2-- a morning rain wetted the dust of Wei Cheng.
朝: zhao1 -- morning
雨: yu3 -- rain
?: yi4 -- wet
轻尘:qing1 chen2 -- dust
客舍青青柳色新:Ke4 she3 qing1 qing1 liu3 se4 xinl --the inn is getting more green and the color of the willows seem more fresh
客舍:ke4 she 4-- inn, tavern
青青: qing1 qing1 -- green,
柳:liu3 -- willow, willows,
色:se4 -- color
新: xin1 -- fresh, new
劝君更尽一杯酒: Quan4 jun1 geng4 jin4 yi4 bei1 jiu3 -- hope you drink another cup of wine
劝: quan4 -- advise, persuade, wish
君: jun1 -- gentleman (here means: you, old friend)
更:geng4 ? again, once more
尽: jin4 -- all, completely, exhaustive
一杯酒: yi1 bei1 jiu4 -- a cup of wine
一: yi1 -- one
杯：bei1 -- cup
酒：jiu3 -- liquor, wine, alcoholic, drink
西出阳关无故人: xi1 chu1 yang2 guan1 wu2 gu4 ren2 -- as soon as you leave from Yang Guan, you will not see any old friend again
西: xi1 -- west
出: chu1 -- go out
阳关:yang2 guan1 ? place name, in today's Dun Huang in Guan Su
无: wu2-- not have, there is not
故人:gu4 ren2 -- old friend, old friends

LISTEN TO THE ANCIENT MUSIC AND THE POEM TO BE SUNG:

Ok, that’s all for this poem and I do hope you enjoy it and you can use it when you are having a farewell party to send off your friends on some special occasions.


If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn, you are welcomed.

-- Shirley
Written and edited on Sat., Oct 1, 2005
Recorded On Sun., Oct 2, 2005