Seventeen Lectures on Tang and Song Ci Poetry

Author: Ye Jiaying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-06-01
Features: According to Western semiotics, a symbol in a language generally conveys a rational cognitive meaning. Sometimes it may give us a sensory impression rather than a rational one, but it can still point toward a cognitive meaning. As for how to judge, I believe there are several situations to pay attention to. First, it must be suitable for the cultural background of the time to be valid. As mentioned earlier, "mountain brow" is invalid, "mountain pillow" is invalid, and "inserted comb" is invalid—only the small "mountain screen" is valid. We have negated all the other possible meanings that the small mountain image could point to, leaving only one meaning. However, sometimes it can simultaneously exist with multiple meanings. For example, in another poem "Pusa Man" by Wen Tingyun, there is the line "Water crystal curtain inside, crystal pillow, warm fragrance lures dream of mandarin ducks and brocade." The "mandarin duck brocade" refers to the pattern of mandarin ducks on the texture of brocade. This is a form of imagery that lacks a rational explanation. What is "mandarin duck brocade"? Is it the bedding? The quilt? The brocade quilt? Or the brocade mattress? It is not specified. Its cognitive meaning can coexist with multiple interpretations simultaneously, without contradiction or conflict, and they can combine into a holistic impression. In short, the women's quarters are beautiful. By the way, when I read "Bun clouds almost reach the snow-white cheeks (xuè), xuè was not pronounced xuě," during my lectures at Nankai University, a student asked me where I was from, and I said I was from Beijing. He said my speech sounded like a Beijing accent, but when I recited words, it didn’t. The student was absolutely right. When I recite words, some characters are not pronounced in the Beijing accent. When I say "it snows," I pronounce xuě as xuě, but in a poem, I pronounce it as xue, which rhymes with "." In modern Northern Mandarin, there are no entering tones. We can also recite poems without entering tones, following the standard Mandarin pronunciation. Moreover, the entering tones I recite are not very accurate, because I am neither from Guangdong nor Fujian, so I cannot pronounce them perfectly. What I recite is merely a falling tone, a falling tone that rhymes with "." I am accustomed to reading it this way because poetry is a literary form with strong musicality, and it has a rhythmic and melodic beauty. I just hope to preserve as much of its original essence and rhythmic beauty as possible.
"Small mountains overlap, gold bright and dim,"
"What is 'gold bright and dim'?" This is Wen Tingyun’s characteristic. He does not provide a rational cognitive explanation. The symbol he presents is a sensory impression—the flickering and shimmering of gold. What is this flickering and shimmering of gold? What he describes should be the early morning, the time of dawn, when sunlight streams through the gaps of doors and windows, illuminating the screen on the pillow of a woman, which is adorned with beautiful gold and green mother-of-pearl decorations. So when sunlight falls on this beautiful screen decorated with gold and green mother-of-pearl, the light reflects and shimmers like gold.
"Small mountains overlap, gold bright and dim,"
It completely depicts only an image—a sensory image. On the winding headboard screen, sunlight reflects and shimmers on the gold and green mother-of-pearl decorations, forming a very beautiful picture. And when sunlight streams in, the gold bright and dim flickering awakens her easily. At night, it is...