ABC of Sound Meters in Chinese Poetry
声(shēng)律(lǜ)启(qǐ)蒙(mēng)
Section Two of Part I
二 冬Second
This sections deals with the character at the end of a line that pronounces with the sound of “dōng” and its groups: 冬(dōng)咚(dōng)彤(tóng)农(nóng)侬(nóng)宗(zōng)淙(cóng)锺(zhōng)钟(zhōng)龙(lóng)茏(lóng)舂(chōng)松(sōng)淞(sōng)冲(chōng)容(róng)榕(róng)蓉(róng)溶(róng)庸(yōng)佣(yòng)慵(yōng)封(fēng)胸(xiōng)凶(xiōng)匈(xiōng)汹(xiōng)雍(yōng)邕(yōng)痈(yōng)浓(nóng)脓(nóng)重(chóng)从(cóng)逢(féng)缝(féng)峰(fēng)锋(fēng)丰(fēng)蜂(fēng)烽(fēng)葑(fēng)纵(zòng)踪(zōng)茸(róng)蛩(qióng)邛(qióng)筇(qióng)跫(qióng)供(gòng)蚣(gōng)喁(yóng)
One may ask why should be there a second “dōng”. According to some research that from the very early period of China to mid-Táng period the pronunciation of “东” was “dung”, the last section was supposed to end with “ung”. At the same time “冬” was “dong”, the “冬” section ends with “ong”. In today’s pronunciation, both “东” and “冬” are pronounced the same. What we have been listing is based on “Píng Shuǐ Rhyming Systems” (composed in the Southern Sòng Dynasty, it is what the writer refers to as “The 104 Rhyming Systems”. Its predecessor was “The Guǎng Rhyming Forms” of the Northern Sòng Dynasty. It evolved from “Rhyming by Way of Cutting and Blending”, composed by Lù Fǎyán (陆法言) in 601 in the Suí Dynasty.)
春对夏，秋对冬。暮鼓对晨钟。
Ch?n duì xià ，qiū duì dōng 。Mù gǔ duì chén zhōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Spring vs. summer; autumn vs. winter; drum at dusk vs. bell in the morning.) The sixth character pronounces as “dōng” and the last character pronounces as “zhōng”. There are four pairs in the line: spring vs. autumn; summer vs. winter; dusk vs. morning; drum vs. bell.
Morning Bell
观山对玩水，绿竹对苍松。
Guān shān duì wán shuǐ ，lǜ zhú duì cāng sōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Viewing Mountains vs. playing with water; green bamboo vs. dark green pine.) The last character pronounces as “sōng”. There are four pairs in the line: to view vs. to paly; mountain vs. water; green vs. dark green; bamboo vs. pine.
冯妇虎，叶公龙。舞蝶对鸣蛩。
Féng fù hǔ ，yè gōng lóng 。Wǔ dié duì míng qióng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Féng Fù’s tiger vs. Lord Yè’s dragon; dancing butterflies vs. chirping crickets.) The sixth character pronounces as “lóng”; the last character pronounces as “qióng”. Féng Fù is a man’s name; it should not be mistaken as Lady Féng. He could conquer a tiger with his bare hands. Duke Yè was fond of painting dragons, and a true dragon was touched and decided to come and visit him, yet when the Duke saw the true dragon, he was scared away. There are four pairs: Féng Fù vs. Lord Yè; tiger vs. dragon; dancing vs. chirping; butterflies vs. crickets.
Féng Fù’s tiger vs. Lord Yè’s dragon
衔泥双紫燕，课蜜几黄蜂。
Xián ní shuāng zǐ yàn ，kè mì jǐ huáng fēng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Two purple swallows are carrying mud in their bills; a few yellow bees are gathering honey.) The last character pronounces as “fēng”. There are four pairs in the line: carrying mud in the bill vs. gathering honey; a pair vs. a few; purple vs. yellow; swallow vs. bees.
春日园中莺恰恰，秋天塞外雁雍雍。
Chūn rì yuán zhōng yīng qià qià ，qiū tiān sāi wài yàn yōng yōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: The lark is enjoying her comfort in the spring garden; the wild goose outside the pass looks so graceful in the autumn.) The last character pronounces as “yōng”. There are four pairs in the line: spring vs. autumn; in the garden vs. outside the pass; lark vs. wild goose; to look comfortable vs. to look graceful.
秦岭云横，迢递八千远路；
巫山雨洗，嵯峨十二危峰。
Qín lǐng yún héng ，tiáo dì bā qiān yuǎn lù ；
Wū shān yǔ xǐ ，cuó é shí èr wēi fēng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Clouds lay horizontally over the Qínlǐng ridges; go as far as eight thousand miles; rain washing the Wūshān Mountains is pouring down on the twelve precipitous peaks.) The last character pronounces as “fēng”. There are six pairs in the two lines: Qínlǐng Ridges vs. the Wūshān Mountains; clouds vs. rain; to be horizontal vs. washing; being far vs. precipitous; eight thousand miles vs. twelve; road vs. peaks. The first line is actually about one of the legendary “Eight Immortals”—Hán Xiāngzǐ 韩湘子）, who was the nephew of Hán Yú （韩愈）, a master writer and poet, and an important official. One day, the young boy came back home, after many years of learning of Taoist skills, to celebrate his uncle’s birthday. He showed his skills and produced two big green flowers; on the flowers such words were written: “Where is a home when horizontal cloud is blocking the Qínlǐng Ridges? The horse refused to move forward when snow has enveloped the Blue Pass.” Nobody on the spot knew what these words mean. However, some years later, Hán Yú was degraded to a place called Cháozhōu, which was eight thousand miles away from the Capital. While he was mounting the Qínlǐng Riges, it was snowing hard and he had to put up at a lodge. Yet, his nephew Hán Xiāngzǐ was there waiting for him. He suddenly remembered the words on the flowers and found out that where he way staying was called the Blue Pass. By now, he knew his nephew had mastered superb Taoist skills. The second line is about the daughter of the Queen Mother of the Heaven, who came down to the earth to help Emperor Yǔ conquering a terrible flood by killing twelve dragons, which turned into peaks at the end.
Clouds lay horizontally over the Qínlǐng ridges; go as far as eight thousand miles; rain washing the Wūshān Mountains is pouring down on the twelve precipitous peaks.
明对暗，淡对浓。上智对中庸。
Míng duì àn ，dàn duì nóng 。Shàng zhì duì zhōng yōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Brightness vs. darkness; to be thin vs. to be thick; exceptional intelligence vs. unbiased steadfastness.) The last character pronounces as “yōng”. There are apparently four pairs in the line.
镜奁对衣笥，野杵对村舂。
Jìng lián duì yī sì ，yě chǔ duì cūn chōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Dressing case and mirror vs. square bamboo suitcase; a countryside wooden pestle vs. stoneware for husking rice.) The last character pronounces as “chōng”. There are four pairs in the line: dressing vs. clothing; case vs. suitcase; countryside vs. village; pestle vs. stoneware for husking.
花灼烁，草蒙茸。九夏对三冬。
Huā zhuó shuò ，cǎo méng róng 。Jiǔ xià duì sān dōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Bright and splendid flowers vs. grass jumble; summer in ninety days vs. three winter months.) The sixth character pronounces as “róng” and the last character pronounces as “dōng”. There are four pairs in the line: flowers vs. grass; splendid vs. jumble; nine vs. three; summer vs. winter. Here “nine” stands for “ninety”.
台高名戏马，斋小号蟠龙。
Tái gāo míng xì mǎ ，zhāi xiǎo hào pán lóng 。
(Literal translation of the line: The high terrace is named “viewing horse racing”; the small building is called the coiling dragon.) The last character pronounces as “lóng”. The terrace was first built by Xiàng Yǔ (232-202 B.C.项羽), who overthrew the State of Qín and was called the Conqueror. The small building was built by General Huán Wēn of Eastern Jìn (312-373，桓温), he painted a coiling dragon on the wall, and the building was so named. The building was taken over by Liú Yì （刘毅， ？－412年）, who smashed the forces of the son of Huán Wēn, who tried to usurp the state power of the Jìn Dynasty. There are five pairs in the line: terrace vs. building; high vs. small; named vs. called; playing vs. coiling; horse vs. dragon.
Walking with a coat made of crane feather on the back was Wáng Gōng
手擘蟹螯从毕卓，身披鹤氅自王恭。
Shǒu bò xiè áo cóng bì zhuó ，shēn pī hè chǎng zì wáng gōng 。
(Literal translation of the line: Holing a crab leg in one hand was the way Bì Zhuó drank wine; walking with a coat made of crane feather on the back was Wáng Gōng.) The last character pronounces as “gōng”. Both Bì and Wáng were important officials of the Eastern Jìn period. There are four pairs: holding in the hand vs. on the back; a crab leg vs. crane feather overcoat; started by vs. done by; Bì Zhuó vs. Wáng Gōng.
