Du Fu's On Watching The Sword Dance By A Disciple Of Dame Gongsun 杜甫 觀公孫大娘弟子舞劍器行 Poem by Frank Yue

JIAN QI XING:
On Watching The Sword Dance by A Disciple of Dame Gongsun
- by Du Fu (712-770)
- Translated by Frank C Yue


There was a pretty woman named Gongsun in the years past;
When she did her Sword Dance the effects were striking and vast.
Like still mountains, all spectators were spellbound, petrified;
It seemed Heav'n and Earth with her ev'ry move were unified,
So dazzling and bright as down the 'Nine Suns' Hou Yi shot -
O Mighty and fast as the Gods rode their dragon-chariots!
As she lept up, like an angry thunder-bolt, the Dance began;
Like frozen green waves, the cool blade was ev'rywhere
at the end.

Long ago, the Master's dancing sleeves and songs fell silent;
Of late, she still has a fine disciple with great talent.
At Bai Di City -a fair lady from Linying was there;
Her songs and dance (in battle attire)were beyond compare.
She answers my questions: Now I know the wherefores and why;
Sadly, lamenting the great changes, one could always cry.
The late Emp'ror had eight thousand ladies (and no less) :
All the time, among them Dame Gongsun's Sword Dance was the best!

Just like the turning of one's palm, fifty years have gone,
And so has the Old Court as ceaselessly Time marches on.
Like smokes, disbanded, the Pear Garden members disappear'd;
In failing sunlight, the Master's disciple is still here.
Around the great Emperor's mausoleum, now grown are all the trees;
At Qutang, the city's a shadow of what it used to be.
The sumptuous feasts, joyous music, songs and dances had ceased;
Ecstasy! Then come great sorrows and the Moon in the east.

When dinner is over, I know not where I shall wander;
My sad, corn-covered feet will carry me to the hills yonder.



觀公孫大娘弟子舞劍器行》
- 唐 • 杜甫

昔有佳人公孫氏， 一舞劍器動四方。
觀者如山色沮喪， 天地為之久低昂。
霍如羿射九日落， 矯如群帝驂龍翔。
來如雷霆收震怒， 罷如江海凝清光。
絳唇珠袖兩寂寞， 晚有弟子傳芬芳。
臨潁美人在白帝， 妙舞此曲神揚揚。
與余問答既有以， 感時撫事增惋傷。

先帝侍女八千人， 公孫劍器初第一 。
五十年間似反掌， 風塵澒洞昏王室。
梨園子弟散如煙， 女樂餘姿映寒日。
金粟堆前木已拱， 瞿塘石城草蕭瑟。
玳筵急管曲復終， 樂極哀來月東出 。
老夫不知其所往， 足繭荒山轉愁疾。