ABC of Sound Meters in Chinese Poetry 声(shēng)律(lǜ)启(qǐ)蒙(mēng) Section VIII of Part I
The Eighth, the character at the end of a line that pronounces with the sound of “qí” and its groups: 齐(qí)黎(lí)犁(lí)梨(lí)妻(qī)萋(qī)凄(qī)堤(dī)低(dī)题(tí)提(tí)蹄(tí)啼(tí)鸡(jī)稽(jī)兮(xī)倪(ní)霓(ní)西(xī)栖(xī)犀(xī)嘶(sī)撕(sī)梯(tī)鼙(pí)赍(jī)迷(mí)泥(ní)溪(xī)蹊(xī)圭(guī)闺(guī)携(xié)畦(qí)嵇(jī)跻(jī)奚(xī)脐(qí)醯(xī)黧(lí)蠡(lí)醍(tí)鹈(tí)奎(kuí)批(pī)砒(pī)睽(kuí)荑(yí)篦(bì)齑(jī)藜(lí)猊(ní)蜺(ní)鲵(ní)羝(dī)
八 齐
岩对岫，涧对溪，远岸对危堤。 Yán duì xiù ，jiàn duì xī ，yuǎn àn duì wēi dī 。 (Literal translation of the line: A rock vs. a cave; a gully vs. a brook; a distant bank vs. a high dike.) The sixth character pronounces as “xī” and the last character pronounces as “dī”. There are apparently four pairs in the line: a rock vs. a cave; a gully vs. a brook; distant vs. high; a bank vs. a dike.
鹤长对凫短，水雁对山鸡。 Hè zhǎng duì fú duǎn ，shuǐ yàn duì shān jī 。 (Literal translation of the line: The long neck of a crane vs. the short neck of a wild duck; a wild goose vs. a pheasant.) The last character pronounces as “jī”. There are such pairs in the line: crane vs. wild duck; long vs. short; water vs. mountain; a wild goose vs. a pheasant.
The long neck of a crane vs. the short neck of a wild duck; a wild goose vs. a pheasant.
星拱北，月流西，汉露对汤霓。 Xīng gǒng běi ，yuè liú xī ，hàn lù duì tāng ní 。 (Literal translation of the line: Stars surround the Big Dipper, the moon sets down in the west; the dew of the Hàn and the rainbow of the Tāng.) The sixth character pronounces as “xī” and the last character pronounces as “ní”. There are such pairs in the line: star vs. moon; to surround vs. to set; north vs. west; dew vs. rainbow; Hàn vs. Tāng. Emperor Wǔ of the Hàn used morning dew to mix up with minced pearl as some sort of a medicine in order to prolong life. King Tāng seemed like a rainbow for the people in the Shāng who suffered a great deal from King Zhòu. There are apparently four pairs in the line.
桃林牛已放，虞坂马长嘶。 Táo lín niú yǐ fàng ，yú bǎn mǎ zhǎng sī 。 (Literal translation of the line: Oxen have been sent to the Peach Forest; the thoroughbred neighed for a long time at Yúbǎn.) The last character pronounces as “sī”. The line refers to two stories, the first one is about King Wǔ of the Zhòu, who, having defeated Shāng, sent all the oxen that were used to carry supplies to the Peach Forest; the second story says that when the thoroughbred saw Bó Lè (伯乐)， who identified it at the beginning, in its later years at Yúbǎn, the horse neighed for a long time. There are such pairs in the line: peach forest vs. Yúbǎn; ox vs. horse; had been sent vs. a long neigh.
the thoroughbred neighed for a long time at Yúbǎn
叔侄去官闻广受，弟兄让国有夷齐。 Shū zhí qù guān wén guǎng shòu ，dì xiōng ràng guó yǒu yí qí 。 (Literal translation of the line: Having resigned from the office, the uncle and nephew Guāng and Shòu became known; the brothers Bó Yí (伯夷) and Shū Qí (叔齐) all declined the offer of succeeding to their father’s crown.) The last character pronounces as “qí”. The uncle and the nephew were Shū Guāng （疏广） and Shū Shòu （疏受）, who were tutors of the king and the prince and who decided to resign after a few years of working. They distributed their awards—money to their friends and went home to lead a plain life, and were therefore highly regarded. The father of Bó Yí and Shū Qí was the monarch of the State of Gū Zhū. Having decided not to be their father’s successor, they both went to the mountains to live in seclusion. There are such pairs in the line: uncle and nephew vs. brothers; to resign vs. not to take over the crown; to be known vs. there were; Guāng and Shòu vs. Yí and Qí.
三月春浓，芍药丛中蝴蝶舞； 五更天晓，海棠枝上子规啼。 Sān yuè chūn nóng ，sháo yào cóng zhōng hú dié wǔ ； Wǔ gèng tiān xiǎo ，hǎi táng zhī shàng zǐ guī tí 。 (Literal translation of the lines: In the high spring time in March, butterflies dance among peony flowers; at day break in the fifth hours, the cuckoo is chirping on the branches of the crabapple tree.) The last character pronounces as “tí”. There are such pairs in the lines: March vs. the fifth hour; high spring time vs. day break; peony vs. crabapple; among flowers vs. on the branches; butterflies dance vs. a cuckoo chirps.
the cuckoo is chirping on the branches of the crabapple tree.
云对雨，水对泥，白璧对玄圭。 Yún duì yǔ ，shuǐ duì ní ，bái bì duì xuán guī 。 (Literal translation of the lines: Cloud vs. rain; water vs. mud; white flat jade vs. blackish red jade.) The sixth character pronounces as “ní” and the last character pronounces as “guī”. There are apparently four pairs in the line.
献瓜对投李，禁鼓对征鼙。 Xiàn guā duì tóu lǐ ，jìn gǔ duì zhēng pí 。 (Literal translation of the lines: To present melon vs. to return with plum; a time-striking drum vs. an army drum.) The fifth character pronounces as “lǐ” and the last character pronounces as “pí”. There are such pairs in the line: to present vs. to return; melon vs. plum; drum to sound curfew vs. drum for use in the battle.
