Waterbag Dance "The General's Monologue"

何威廉

Tune: Waterbag Dance

The General's Monologue

By William He

Along the lotus pond,

Her melancholy reigns.

In front of the Golden Temple,  

How glowing guilt exalts unholy joy.

The chameleons shifting between the hues.

He is chanting in heroic tone,

To chieftains and people gathered there.

She in amorous meditation,

He has to subdue his urges.

Howbeit jealousy and yearning,

Exacerbate his bitterness and woe.

All happiness attracts the fates' anger then.

Decoupling from his foul array,

Cleaning himself of sins for fresh ones.

苏幕遮

太和宫金殿

作者：何威廉

翠湖光，

神女思。

五眼耽迷，

灵洞岩头桂。

群鲫逐流随浪坠。

鹦鹉山前，

六诏生殊气。

美人情，

滇海意。

雀噪空庭，

飞去茶花碎。

魂向野园徒自悔。

一品朝裳，

归步同仙骑。

Notes:

"Lotus pond": Lianhuachi. It became private property in the 17th century when it was appropriated by infamous general and Machiavellian genius Wu Sangui. He turned the grounds surrounding the springs into a pleasure palace for his concubine Chen Yuanyuan. The story of how Wu and Chen ended up in Kunming deserves some background.

"Her melancholy": Chen Yuanyuan, deemed as one of the eight beauties in ancient China along the Qinhuai River in today's Nanjing City, was many men’s fantasy. Her romance with the controversial general Wu Sangui (1612-78), one of the most widespread stories about her, changed the history of China.

"Golden Temple": Chen Yongbin, provincial governor of Yunnan Province of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was told that Mingfeng Mountain in Kunming is a place with good Fengshui (a Chinese system of geomancy). In expectation of getting good luck, Chen built the Golden Temple in the mountain, modeling the Taihegong Golden Temple on Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province, in 1602 to worship Zhenwu the Great (a Chinese god of Taoism).

"In heroic tone": Wu Sangui, Chinese general who invited the Manchu of Manchuria into China and helped them establish the Qing dynasty in 1644. Later, in southwestern China, he led a revolt against the Qing in an attempt to set up his own dynasty.

"Chieftains": The leaders or heads of groups, especially of the clans or tribes. During Sui and Tang dynasties (581 A.D.--907 A.D.), there were six tribes around Erhai Lake and they gradually became powerful. Among the six tribes, the Nanzhao tribe grew rapidly in strength.  

何威廉

All happiness attracts the fates' anger then......

AiHai-何海

品何威廉兄诗词感怀两首
（一）
文功厚古汉唐风，诗境博通中外容。
世界扬歌华韵美，五洲龙子义豪情。
（二）
歌扬海上丝绸路，诗画天下绣锦图。
世界和兴宏爱道，五洲大地彩华书。
爱海2018/3/1敬题

何威廉

AiHai-何海 发表于 2021-7-2 12:31
品何威廉兄诗词感怀两首
（一）
文功厚古汉唐风，诗境博通中外容。

谢谢何海美誉。顺致夏安！