ChineseStudy

273. Song of the Palace | Zhu Qingyu

Contents

Text

English translation

In the season of flowers the courtyard is silent, its gate shut; two beauties stand side by side in a fine gallery.

Silent conveys the palace's desolation, while the flower season, which ought to be lively, sets off how little notice they receive. The shut gate marks the small space they may move in. Standing side by side shows the two drawn close, preparing for the whispered talk that follows.

Full of feeling, they would speak of what goes on in the palace, but before the parrot they do not dare.

A parrot can mimic human speech, and one is kept in the palace; the two women fear it might carry their words to others, so they hold their tongues. That they must be wary even of a bird shows how guarded speech is and how cramped their situation is.

赏析 · Commentary

寂静的春天和不敢说的话 · A Silent Spring and Words Left Unspoken

诗从院门的紧闭写到两个并肩的人，最后落在“不敢言”。全篇最响的声音，是一只可能学舌的鹦鹉。花开得再好，也无人来看；心里的事再多，也无人可说。宫中的压抑不在刑罚，而在这种处处需要提防的日常。

The poem moves from the shut gate to two women standing together, and ends on they do not dare. The loudest presence in the whole piece is a parrot that might repeat them. However fine the flowers, no one comes to see; however much the heart holds, there is no one to tell. The oppression of palace life lies not in punishment but in this everyday need to watch every word.

为什么偏偏是鹦鹉 · Why the Parrot

宫中忌言，可诗人没有写侍卫或宫规，只写一只鹦鹉。鸟不会告密，却会学舌；正因为它无辜，这份“不敢言”才更显得无处可逃。连对着鸟都要收声，那真正想说的话，恐怕一辈子也说不出口。

Palace speech is dangerous, yet instead of guards or rules the poet gives us a single parrot. The bird will not inform on them, but it will imitate them; precisely because it means no harm, the fear of speaking seems to leave nowhere to turn. If they must fall silent even before a bird, the words they truly wish to say may never be spoken at all.

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