Difference between revisions of "Talk:Lung Li Po"

Revision as of 09:45, 3 September 2013

The text of "The Hard Road" can be found on page 143 of the Del Rey mass market edition of Throne of Jade. -- Strangerface 11:23, 21 October 2006 (PDT)

"The Hard Road" as it appears in Throne Of Jade has been slightly altered so it appears as if it was written by a Dragon. One English translation of the original can be found here, entitled "Hard is the Journey" http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/li_po/poems/16221

It occurs to me, should we include that text and the version in Throne Of Jade on this page (to compare the differences in translation, or would that be considered a breach of copyright and we should simply settle for pointing out one or two things?

NN's version seems to be more closely based on this translation by Witter Bynner (ellipses are in the original text):

Li Po (Bynner translation)	"Lung Li Po"
Pure wine costs, for the golden cup, ten thousand coppers a flagon,	Pure wine costs, for the golden bowl, ten thousand coppers a flagon,
And a jade plate of dainty food calls for a million coins.	And a jade platter of dainty food calls for a million coins.
I fling aside my food-sticks and cup, I cannot eat nor drink...	I fling aside my bowl and meat, I cannot eat or drink...
I pull out my dagger, I peer four ways in vain.	I raise my talons to the sky, I peer four ways in vain.
I would cross the Yellow River, but ice chokes the ferry;	I would cross the Yellow River, but ice takes hold of my limbs;
I would climb the T'ai-hang Mountains, but the sky is blind with snow...	I would fly above the Tai-hang mountains, but the sky is blind with snow.
I would sit and poise a fishing-pole, lazy by a brook--	I would sit and watch the golden carp, lazy by a brook--
But I suddenly dream of riding a boat, sailing for the sun...	But I suddenly dream of crossing the waves, sailing for the sun...
Journeying is hard,	Journeying is hard,
Journeying is hard.	Journeying is hard.
There are many turnings--	There are many turnings--
Which am I to follow? ...	Which am I to follow?
I will mount a long wind one day and break the heavy waves	I will mount a long wind one day and break the heavy bank of clouds,
And set my cloudy sail straight and bridge the deep, deep sea.	And set my wings straight to brigde the wide, wide sea.

--Wombat1138 19:44, 12 August 2010 (PDT)

Lung Li Po/Li Bai

Potentially a bit of an inconsistency in Blood of Tyrants...Kiyo at one point mentions she's familiar with the work of Li Bai, who is an actual Chinese poet, except he's already been introduced as Lung Li Po in Throne of Jade. I suppose we can assume they're the same character, and that Kiyo omitted the "Lung" part for whatever reason - in fact, I seem to recall several characters doing this in the book - so it's really just a lingual mix-up; "Li Po" is Wade-Giles, whereas "Li Bai" is Pinyin...and as mentioned elsewhere, most names are already a mixture between the two; Temeraire should be either Lung Tien Hsiang or Long Tian Xiang, depending on whether it's Wade-Giles or Pinyin. Almaron 04:45, 3 September 2013 (CDT)