ABC of Sound Meters in Chinese Poetry 声(shēng)律(lǜ)启(qǐ)蒙(mēng) Section VII of Part I
The Seventh, the character at the end of a line that pronounces with the sound of “yú” and its groups: 虞(yú)愚(yú)娱(yú)隅(yú)无(wú)芜(wú)巫(wū)于(yú)衢(qú)癯(qú)瞿(qú)氍(qú)儒(rú)襦(rú)濡(rú)须(xū)需(xū)珠 (zhū)株(zhū)诛(zhū)朱(zhū)铢(zhū)蛛(zhū)殊(shū)俞(yú)瑜(yú)榆(yú)愉(yú)逾(yú)渝(yú)窬(yú)谀(yú)腴(yú)区(qū)躯(qū)驱(qū)岖(qū)趋(qū)扶(fú)符(fú)凫(fú)芙(fú)雏(chú)敷(fū)麸(fū)夫(fū)肤(fū)纡(yū)输(shū)枢(shū)厨(chú)俱(jù)驹(jū)模(mó)谟(mó)摹(mó)蒲(pú)逋(bū)胡(hú)湖(hú)瑚(hú)乎(hū)壶(hú)狐(hú)弧(hú)孤(gū)辜(gū)姑(gū)觚(gū)菰(gū)徒(tú)途(tú)涂(tú)荼(tú)图(tú)屠(tú)奴(nú)吾(wú)梧(wú)吴(wú)租(zū)卢(lú)鲈(lú )炉(lú)芦(lú)颅(lú)垆(lú)蚨(fú)孥(nú)帑(tǎng)苏(sū)酥(sū)乌(wū)污(wū)枯(kū)粗(cū)都(dū)茱(zhū)侏(zhū)姝(shū)禺(yú)拘嵎(yú)蹰(chū)桴(fú)俘(fú)臾(yú)萸(yú)吁(xū)滹(hū)瓠(hù)糊(hú)醐(hú)呼((hū)沽(gū)酤(gū)泸(lú)舻(lú)轳(lu)鸬(lú)驽(nú)匍(pú)葡(pú)铺(pū )菟(tú)诬(wū)呜(wū)迂(yū)盂(yú)竽(yú)趺(fū)毋(wú)孺(rú)酴(tú)鸪(gū)骷(kū)刳(kū)蛄(gǔ)晡(bū)蒱(pú)葫(hú)呱()蝴(hú)劬(qú)殂(cú)猢(hú)郛(fú)孚(fú)
七虞
金对玉，宝对珠，玉兔对金乌。 Jīn duì yù ，bǎo duì zhū ，yù tù duì jīn wū 。 (Literal translation of the line: Gold vs. jade; treasure vs. pearl; the white rabbit vs. the golden crow.) The last character pronounces as “wū”. There are apparently four pairs in the line. The white rabbit, according to Chinese legend, is in the moon while the golden crow is in the sun, in some versions the crow has three legs.
the white rabbit vs. the golden crow.
孤舟对短棹，一雁对双凫。 Gū zhōu duì duǎn zhào ，yī yàn duì shuāng fú 。 (Literal translation of the line: The lonely boat vs. short oar; a single wild goose vs. a pair of wild ducks.) The last character pronounces as “fú”. There are such pairs in the line: lonely vs. short; boat vs. oar; single vs. a pair; wild goose vs. wild duck.
横醉眼，捻吟须，李白对杨朱。 Héng zuì yǎn ，niǎn yín xū ，lǐ bái duì yáng zhū 。 (Literal translation of the line: The narrowed drunken eye vs. breaking some beard by twiddling while chanting poems; Lǐ Bái vs. Yang Zhū.) The sixth character pronounces as “xū” and the last character pronounces as “zhū”. There are such pairs in the line: narrowing vs. twiddling; to be drunken vs. to chant; eye vs. beard; Lǐ Bái vs. Yang Zhū. In the last pair, Lǐ Bái is a great Táng poet and Yang Zhū is a great thinker of the Warring States period. Yet, in Chinese Lǐ is also a kind of plum tree and Yáng is a poplar tree; while Bái means white, Zhū means vermilion.
秋霜多过雁，夜月有啼乌。 Qiū shuāng duō guò yàn ，yè yuè yǒu tí wū 。 (Literal translation of the line: When there is autumn frost, there are more wild goose flying past; under the moon the crow would warble in the night.) The last character pronounces as “wū”. Autumn frost is paired with night moon; flying past vs. warbling; wild goose vs. crow. When there is autumn frost, there are more wild goose flying past;
日暖园林花易赏，雪寒村舍酒难沽。 Rì nuǎn yuán lín huā yì shǎng ，xuě hán cūn shě jiǔ nán gū 。 (Literal translation of the line: It is easy to appreciate the flowers in the garden when the day is warm; it is difficult to buy wine in the village when it is snowing and cold.) The last character pronounces as “gū”. The pairs are like these: warm day vs. cold in snow; garden vs. village; flower vs. wine; to be easy vs. to be difficult; to appreciate vs. to buy.
人处岭南，善探巨象口中齿； 客居江右，偶夺骊龙颔下珠。 Rén chù lǐng nán ，shàn tàn jù xiàng kǒu zhōng chǐ ； Kè jū jiāng yòu ，ǒu duó lí lóng hàn xià zhū 。 (Literal translation of the line: For those who live south of the Five Ridges, it would be possible to explore the teeth of giant elephant; for those who travel to the eastern side of the river, there are chances to seize a pearl from the chin of a black dragon.) The last character pronounces as “zhū”. There are such pairs in the lines: an inhebitant vs. a traveler; south of the ridges vs. right side of the river; to be good at exploring vs. chances to seize; giant elephant vs. black dragon; in the mouth vs. in the chin; teeth vs. pearl. It is said the elephant would bury its lost teeth. If one is found by man, the person who discovered it should replace it with a fake one; otherwise the elephant would bury its teeth at another place. According to what Zhuāng Zǐ (庄子) wrote, a fisherman’s son was able to get the pearl from the water, because when he was taking it, the dragon was asleep.
For those who live south of the Five Ridges, it would be possible to explore the teeth of giant elephant;
贤对圣，智对愚，傅粉对施朱。 Xián duì shèng ，zhì duì yú ，fù fěn duì shī zhū 。 (Literal translation of the line: An able and virtuous person vs. a saint; the intelligent vs. the foolish; to apply powder vs. to apply red color.) The sixth character pronounces as “yú” and the last character pronounces as “zhū”. There are apparently four pairs in the line: an able and virtuous person vs. a saint; the intelligent vs. the foolish; to apply vs. to add; powder vs. red color.
名缰对利锁，挈榼对提壶。 Míng jiāng duì lì suǒ ，qiè kē duì tí hú 。 (Literal translation of the line: The rein of fame vs. the lock of interest; carrying a wine vessel vs. carrying a pot.) The last character pronounces as “hú”. There are such pairs in the line: fame vs. interest; rein vs. lock; to carry vs. to take by hand; a wine vessel vs. a pot.
鸠哺子，燕调雏，石帐对郇厨。 Jiū bǔ zǐ ，yàn tiáo chú ，shí zhàng duì xún chú 。 (Literal translation of the line: The way turtle dove nurses children vs. the way swallow raises smaller ones; Shí’s curtain vs. Xún’s delicious food.) The sixth character pronounces as “chú” and the last character pronounces as “chú”. There are such pairs in the line: a turtle dove vs. a swallow; to nurse vs. to raise; child vs. the young; Shí vs. Xún; curtain vs. food. Shí here is Shí Chóng (石崇), the richest man of the Jìn Dynasty. It is said he made a curtain with silk and it was 25 kilometers long; Xún here is the Duke of Xún (郇国公), who was very particular with food, he was named Duke Xún the Chef.
