(Translation) 哀絶陽

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  • 茶山與黃裳書簡(夜能不痛否) 다산이 황상에게 보낸 시 -

Original Script

Classical Chinese	English
蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。 夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。 舅喪已縞兒未澡。三代名簽在軍保。 薄言往愬虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。 磨刀入房血滿席。自恨生兒遭窘厄。 蠶室淫刑豈有辜。閩囝去勢良亦慽。 生生之理天所予。乾道成男坤道女。 騸馬豶豕猶云悲。況乃生民思繼序。 豪家終歲奏管弦。粒米寸帛無所捐。 均吾赤子何厚薄。客窓重誦鳲鳩篇。 此嘉慶癸亥秋, 余在康津作也. 時蘆田民有兒生三日, 入於軍保, 里正奪牛, 民拔刀自割其陽莖曰, 我以此物之故, 受此困厄. 其妻持其莖, 詣官門, 血猶淋淋, 且哭且訴. 閽者拒之. 余聞而作此詩.	(translation)

Translation

Student 1 : (Irina)

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Young bride laments loudly in the reed field

Facing the village gate, her voice rises up into the sky

I have heard for men, who went to war and never came back

But for the first time I heard for someone castrated himself.

A bride’s father-in-law mourn is just over and she haven't even washed her newborn

In this family three generations of men are in the military raster

She tried to complain, but the tiger didn’t let her in

She shouted, but the bull hid in his cowshed.

Student 2 : (Kim Young)

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。

In the Reed Field town, a young lady's wailing goes on and on.

Crying to the county gate, she calls for the blue sky.

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。

Husbands who were drafted and never made it back, there were many as such.

But from old times, I have not heard of a man who castrated himself [to avoid being drafted].

舅喪已縞兒未澡。三代名簽在軍保。

She just finished mourning for the father-in-law, and her son isn't even bathed yet,

but all three generations were enrolled on the military roster.

薄言往愬虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。

Desperately she went to plead, but a beast-like man guarded the gate,

a clerk yelled at her, and her cow was taken from the stable.

• Discussion Questions:

Student 3 : (Masha)

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。
In the reed marshes sound of weeping of a young married woman is lasting, she cries toward the gate of the county seat howling at the heavens.
夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。
It is still possible that the men who go to war are unable to come back, yet from the ancient times I have never heard of a man who has cut off his masculinity.

• Discussion Questions:

Student 4 : (Jong Woo Park)

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1.

蘆田少婦哭聲長 In Nojŏn village, a wailing sound of a young lady endures

哭向縣門號穹蒼 Wailing toward the gate of the county seat, crying out to the lofty blue sky

夫征不復尙可有 It is possible that a husband who went to a war cannot return

自古未聞男絶陽 Since the old days, I have never heard of a male cutting off his genitalia.

2.

舅喪已縞兒未澡 The mourning period of my father-in-law has already come to the end and my infant has not yet been ready to be washed

三代名簽在軍保 However, the names of these three generations all appear in the military roster

薄言往愬虎守閽 I went to the county seat to make a plea but the usher was like a tiger

里正咆哮牛去皁 The head of local clerks shouts at me and take my cow away from the stable

• Discussion Questions:

Student 5 : (Kanghun Ahn)

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In Kaldong, the wailing sound of a young lady is growing.

At the county gate, she is crying out loud toward the blue sky.

A husband went to a war, and never came back again.

Since antiquity, I have never heard about a guy castrating himself.

The funeral of her father in law was over a while ago, and the baby has not been washed yet.

However, all three of them are still (and already) enrolled on the military roster.

Even if she wants to whine about it, the gate guard is scary like a tiger.

The local functionary yells, and even takes their cows from the stable.

Student 6 : (Hu Jing)

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。

In the village of Nojeon, the wailing sound of a young lady is long reverberating.

She weeps at the gate of the county, bawling to the heaven.

The enlisted husband cannot return any more.

I have never heard a male castrating himself from the ancient time.

舅喪已縞兒未澡。三代名簽在軍保。

薄言往愬虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。

Father-in-law has been passed away and the son has not been washed.

Three generations of the family are all on the militray roster.

The pale words of the lowly lady is unheeded by the ferocious gate keeper.

[And] the magistrate yells and loots the cow.

• Discussion Questions:

Student 7 : King Kwong Wong

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哀絶陽 Lamentation of Severing Genital

1. 蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。

In the village of Reedsfield, the wailing of a young madame is long. It reaches the gate of the county seat and resonates with the Heaven.

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。

It is not uncommon that men were lost after being levied for war. Since antiquity however never have I heard a man sever his genital.

2. 舅喪已縞兒未澡。三代名簽在軍保。

The mourning of father-in-law has just passed and the newborn has not yet bathed, the names of three generations have already signed in the military roster.

薄言往愬虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。

Humbly making a plea to the Tiger-guarded gate, the village clerk roars, and a cow is lost from the stable.

• Discussion Questions:

Student 8 : (Zhijun Ren)

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。 In the field of reeds, the wailing sound of a young wife lasted long, She wailed to the heaven, facing the gate of the government building. 夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。 There are instances where husband never returned from conscription, (But) since antiquity, I have never heard a man castrating himself.

Student 9 : (Lidan Liu)

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。 In the village of Weed Field, there is young lady crying with long sounds; She cries to the local court/yamen howling “heaven.”

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。 It is seen that men went to the battle field without returning; From time immemorial, I’ve never heard of a man castrating himself.

舅喪已縞兒未澡*。三代名簽在軍保。 The grandfather, in the white funeral clothes, has passed away, and the grandson hasn’t taken his first bath yet. The names of three generations are all enrolled in the military register.

(* [舊俗，嬰兒出生後三日或滿月時替其洗身，稱“洗兒”。    

【前蜀】【花蕊夫人】《宮詞》之六三：『中尉傳聞三日宴，翰林當撰洗兒文。』 《資治通鑒‧唐玄宗天寶十載》：『上聞後宮歡笑，問其故，左右以貴妃三日洗〈祿兒〉對。上自往觀之，喜，賜貴妃洗兒金銀錢。』)

薄言往愬*虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。 He talked up to them, the tiger-ish man is guarding the door. The local clerk, yelling and shouting, lead the cow away from the crib.

(*《詩經.邶風.柏舟》“薄言往愬，逢彼之怒”I went to talk to them. Yet I encountered their rages.)

• Discussion Questions:

Student 10 : Martin

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蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。 In the village of Nojŏn a young lady cries out long, crying to the county seat declaring to the heavens

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。 Husbands fighting may not return, since the ancient times I never heard of male castrating himself.

舅喪已縞兒未澡。三代名簽在軍保。 Father-in-law just gone but the child has not been bathed, three generations of names are enrolled in the military rosters,

薄言往愬虎守閽。里正咆哮牛去皁。 Anxious words of blame to the gatekeeper like a tiger, the local clerk shouted and took away the cow from the stable

(蘆田少婦哭聲長。哭向縣門號穹蒼。 Im Dorfe Nojon die Wehklagen einer jungen Frau hallen lange, zur Kreisverwaltung und zum Himmel droben,

夫征不復尙可有。自古未聞男絶陽。 Ehemänner aus dem Kriege kehren vielleicht nicht zurück, seit dem Altertum hörte ich nicht von einer Selbst-kastration.)

• Discussion Questions:

Student 11 : (YoungSuk)

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In the village of Straw Fields a young wife's cry long echoes

From the gate of county office her cry reaches as far as the sky

Although she heard husbands went to war and did not return home

Since ancient times, she has never heard about men castrating

In the moarning garment for her deceased father-in-law

And with the new-born child in her arm yet to be washed

She sees the names of three generations enlisted

Thus in her inarticulate words she went to plead

Only to face the fierce gate guard relentlessly standing

The local clerk not only roared but took her cow from the shed

• Discussion Questions:

Student 12 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions:

Student 13 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions:

Student 14 : (SJY)

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1. In the village of Nojeon ("reed field"), the wailing sound of a young lady endures Crying toward the gate of the country seat she shouts at deep blue skies, Many is those who never returned from war Never has a married man cut off his genitalia.

2. 舅喪已縞兒未澡。 三代名簽在軍保。 薄言往愬虎守閽。 里正咆哮牛去皁。 Although her father-in-law's funeral's over and a baby has not yet been bathed The names of the three generations have been listed in the military roster She cried out for mercy but the guard is like a tiger Clerks yelled at her and the cow left the stable

• Discussion Questions: