Language/Literary-chinese/Culture/A-Translation-Company-on-the-English-Translation-of-the-Name-of-Tune-in-Tang-and-Song-Poetries

Ci (词), also known as quzici (曲子词), which means “lyrics”, is a type of verse. It was originally a poem written for the song. Being a part of a song, every ci has or had at least one score. Each score must belong to a certain tone (similar to today's C, G, etc.) with a certain melody and rhythm, which form the tune. Each tune of ci has a name (such as 西江月 and 清平乐), which is called the “name of tune” (词牌).

Ci began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. It is a form of literary expression that has always been loved by people. In order to translate this treasure in Chinese culture and introduce it to foreign countries, many translators have carried out a lot of pioneering hard work, and many of them are exquisitely expressive. However, the translation of the ci is more difficult than the prose and the novel, especially the translation of the name of tune.

For most ci, the name of tune has little to do with the content of the music or the ci. When writting lyrics, the lyricist only consider which tune suits his need and may ignore the original meaning of the name of tune. Therefore, in general, the name of tune only indicates which score the lyrics rely on. However, when translating a name of tune into English, it is necessary to consider its historical origin and the rhythm inside it while conveying the charm and beauty of the name of tune.

Here are a few common English translation methods for the name of tune.

I. The translation of the general name of tune

There is no historical allusion to the general name of tune, or there is but has not been discovered and verified; or taken from a predecessor's words; or just an elegant word. In this case, literally translate into English, you can better preserve the style of the original text, convey the original charm and aesthetic image. E.g:

• 鹧鸪天 Partridge Sky

• 踏莎行 Treading On Grass

• 相见欢 Joy At Meeting

• 点绦唇 Rouged Lips

• 满江红 The River All Red

• 摸鱼儿 Groping For Fish

• 最高楼 The Highest Tower

• 疏影 Space Shadows

• 玉楼春 Spring In Jade Pavilion

• 昼夜乐 Joy Of Day And Night

• 西江月 The Moon Over The West River

• 风入松 Wind Through Pines

• 双双燕 A Pair Of Sparrows

II. The translation of names of tune such as “歌”, “词”, “歌头”, “吟”

1. “歌”, “词”, “子” can be directly translated as “Song”, simple and clear, appropriate and natural. E.g:

• 子夜歌 Midnight Song

• 洞仙歌 Song Of A Fairy In The Cave

• 柳枝词 Willow Branch Song

• 卜算子 Song Of Divination

• 天仙子 Song Of Immortal

• 更漏子 Song Of Water Clock At Night

• 南歌子 A Southern Song

2. “吟” is more elegant than “歌” and “词”. It is a kind of poetry that is easy to sculpt, elegant and rhythmic. It can be translated as “Chant”, which can be regarded as solemn. “Chant” in English refers to psalms or hymns, the meaning of which is very similar to “吟”. E.g:

• 水龙吟 Water Dragon Chant

• 瑞龙吟 Auspicious Dragon Chant

3. “歌头” means “prelude” or “overture”, which can be translated as “Prelude”. E.g:

• 水调歌头 Prelude To Water Melody

III. The translation of names of tune such as “令”, “引”, “近”, “慢”

There are some names of tune with the terms “令”, “引”, “近”, “慢” and so on. “令” is related to a particular drinking game, which is close to the folk songs; “引” is a combination of songs and poems, which also has some kind of evolution from them; “慢” is longer, slower and has larger intervals between rhyming words that ends a line of verse; “近” possesses meanings of intimate and plain, which may be related to other names such as “令” and “引”, to refer to tunes that are longer and less elegant than the “慢” songs. In terms of the number of words, in general, “令” are mostly in the range of “小令”, “引” and “近” are mostly in the range of “中调”, and “慢” are mostly “长调”. Therefore, it can be translated as “Song”; “Slow Song”; “Slow Tune” or “Slow, Slow Song”. E.g;

• 调笑令 Song Of Flirtation

• 唐多令 Tang Duo Song

• 祝英台令 Song Of Zhu Ying Tai

• 扬州慢 Slow Tune Of Yangzhou

• 声声慢 Slow, Slow Song

IV. The translation of names of tune such as “摊破”, “促拍”, “减字”, “偷声”

The terms “摊破” (also known as “摊声”, “添字”) and “促拍” both indicate that words and sentences have been added to the original. “减字” and “偷声” are based on the original tune with the words reduced. “摊破” and “减字” are in terms of the number of words, while “促拍” and “偷声” are in terms of tune. So “摊破” can be translated as “Lengthened Form”, “促拍” can be translated as “Quickened Tune”, “减字” can be translated as “Shortened Form”, “偷声” can be translated as “Slowed Tune”. E.g:

• 减字木兰花 Shortened Form Of Lily Magnolia Flowers

• 摊破浣溪沙 Lengthened Form Of Silk-Washing Stream

V. Translation of names of tune rooted in the historical anecdotes

According to textual researches, there are five sources of tune: 1. Music introduced from the ethnics of the borderland or outside the territory; 2. Inland folk songs; 3. Songs created or modified by music players; 4. Ancient songs modified by court music institutions or songwriters; 5. Songs created by the intellectuals. Because of the wide range of tune sources, the meaning of the name of tune is also complicated. Therefore, some names of tune cannot be literally translated, but should be translated after examining their origins.

For example, 《苏幕遮》 originally refers to the “浑脱” dance music from Turpan (Ancient Gaochang) in Xinjiang today. “浑脱” means “bags”. It is said that dancers use oil bags to fill the water and splash each other, so the Tang people also call it “cold-water-splashing play of the barbarian” (泼寒胡戏). In order not to cast cold water on the head, the performer wears an oiled hat. The word of the oiled hat in the Gaochang language is transliterated as “苏幕遮”, so the song and the lyrics in the song are called “苏幕遮”. Someone translated it as “Screened By Southern Curtain”, who did not consider its origin and took the words too literally, especially the rootless word “Southern”. According to this, I think the literal translation “Oiled Hat” would be vulgar and prefer “Water-bag Dance”, which not only shows that it is dance music, but also allows the reader to appreciate the content and image of the dance.

According to the textual research of 《菩萨蛮》, it was originally the music of the ancient Norm country in Myanmar, and it was later transformed by the Han music players. According to Tang Su'e from the Du Yang Miscellaneous Series: “At the beginning of Dazhong (reign title of Tang Xuanzong), the country Norm tributed the dual-dragon rhinoceros ... In this country, people have precarious hair, wear golden hats and decorated necklaces, thus they are called ‘菩萨蛮’. Then, entertainers began to create 《菩萨蛮》 songs; the intellectuals also write lyrics”. That “菩萨” in “菩萨蛮” is not related to our Buddha or Buddhist Idol. The meaning of the name of tune is “Bodhisattva-Like Barbarian”. Some people translate it as “Buddhist Dancers”, which is really a big mistake! Because the adjective “Buddhist” means “related to Buddha, related to Buddhism”, when it was translated back into Chinese, it becomes “Buddhist Dancers”. Despite whether there exist Buddhist dancers, the meaning has been changed already. Translations as “Dancers Like Buddha” or “Buddha-like Dancers” are still acceptable; or simply “Song Of The Country Norm”, which is simple and clear, only to lose the image of Bodhisattva.

Another example is 《念奴娇》, Niannu is a famous singer in the Tianbao Era of Tang Xuanzong. Xuanzong often order her to play for him, which is the origin of the name of tune. If the translator doesn't know this, it will be hilariously translated as “Dreaming Of Her Charm”. Someone translated it as “Charm Of A Maiden Singer”, in which “Singer” and “Charm” have been translated, but I think the word “Maiden” is not used properly. The word “Maiden” means “virgin” or “unmarried woman” in English. It is too holy to use it on ancient singers. It is better to remove “Maiden” and translate it as “Charm Of A Singer”. “Charm” refers to the feminine charm of a woman, so no need to worry that the reader will misunderstand the gender of “Singer”. In this sense, “Maiden” can also be deleted. Of course, it is not a bad idea to translate it as “Woman”. It also involves the translation of proper nouns. The name “Niannu” is still unfamiliar to most Chinese people, not to mention foreigners. It is not necessarily translated, but it hinders the understanding of meaning, so it can be left here. “A Singer” can be used instead. A similar situation can be handled like this: For example, 《昭君怨》 can be translated as “Lament Of A Fair Lady”. The name can also be noted, such as 《虞美人》, which can be translated as “The Beautiful Lady Yu”, so that the foreigner knows that it is a beautiful woman with a surname.

《忆秦娥》, A song in Tang Dynasty, originates from the line “The moon was beyond the building in her home when the Qin woman's dream was interrupted” (秦娥梦断秦楼月) by Li Bai, hence it is named 《忆秦娥》. “秦娥” refers to the woman Nongyu of the ancient Qin State. Legend has it that she is a daughter of Ying Renhao, Mugong of Qin. She loves to play xiao and married the fairy Xiao Shi. In Li Bai's ci, it refers to the woman of Qin (now Shaanxi Province). This ci describes a woman in the capital. Since her husband has gone far away, she slept unsteadily at night, looking for her husband every year but received no message. In the disappointment and pain, she was upset even seeing good sceneries. Someone translated it as “Dream Of A Palace Maid”, “Palace Maid” means the palace attendant, especially “Maid” means “girl, unmarried woman or virgin”, which is far from Li Bai's original meaning. Perhaps it is the mistake of “秦娥” as “宫娥”. It should be translated as “Dream Of A Qin Woman”.

Another example is 《临江仙》, which at first glance is thought to be a fairy on the riverside. In fact, it is a song created by the royal academy in Tang Dynasty, originally made for the daffodil, hence the name “临江仙”. Thus the translation “Immortal At The River” is different with the original name. It's best to translate it as “Daffodils By The Riverside”, which takes care of its original meaning and retains the charm of the ci.

《鹊桥仙》 is named after the myth of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, often used to describe stories about them, so changing “Immortal At The Magpie Bridge” to “Immortals Meeting On The Magpie Bridge” will be more vivid and appropriate. Another example is《破阵子》, a song created by the royal academy in Tang Dynasty. It is part of the large-scale dance music 《秦王破阵乐》 of the Kucha people, which often expresses the heroic feelings. Translation as “Dance Of The Cavalry” completely conveys the charm of the original text, although the original text does not have the word “dance”.

In summary, although the translation of the name of tune is a minute work, it is quite a matter of discretion. In addition to the deep Chinese and English roots, the translator has to have a great deal of knowledge of literature and history. Otherwise, it will not only affect the understanding of the original text, but also make some gimmicks.

Source

http://www.rzfanyi.com/7538/

Grammatical mistakes in the original text are corrected.