#indian army vs chinese army

[lightdancer1]

Wrapped up the next volume of the Oxford History of the United States:

This and Battle Cry of Freedom remain the best two of the entire series thus far, and they are this because they both share a specific point none of the others really try to do. They do not merely recap the views and experiences of the time in a narrative history, they note and expose the sheer mass of self-deception and willingly buying into their own lies that underlay the hearts of some parts of this era, along with the casual barbaric brutality that was another part of it.

This book had a great many potential places to begin, but elected to do so with the funeral procession of Lincoln's train. It argues that the victorious Republicans of 1865 took from that victory vindication of the original Mk. I Free Soil vision and the very self-deceptive delusion that the scale of military defeat moderated the former rebel armies and their leaders. Neither proved to be true and in 873 pages precisely why that proved to be the case is illustrated. The book also notes the ironies that Black people were given specific rigged realities that have shaped their lives ever since, the Southern white elite through fire and sword recreating a pale ghost of the old order through night-rider terror and through wholesale destruction of the principle of rule of law. No land transfers were made on any scale that mattered for Black people, but the US government retained its fundamental nature to that point as a huge land transfer machine in the last phases of the old Indian Wars.

The country of George Washington vanished at Appomattox, the one envisioned by the Republicans of 1865 died a slower but no less total death to produce the corporate-state conglomerates that become recognizably that of our time, and where the avarice and greed of empire produced endless failures rewarded with lavish subsidies while official rhetoric, of course, pretended none of this was true. This was also the last golden age of Senatorial leaders as its main and most powerful political figures, men like Roscoe Conkling and James G. Blaine, were products of the Senate of that era who never translated that actual power into the Presidency.

The world of free labor became that of the particularly US pattern of industrial capitalism and even the advocates of that classical liberal view found the reality of the world forged in the fires of Reconstruction and then the convulsions of shifts from free soil to the reality of class struggle on the one hand and the efforts of the Bourbon South to re-establish a very specific kind of white supremacy in the South as the Army and politicians did so against first Indigenous peoples and then Chinese people in the West.

The reality was a USA whose air became filthier, whose cities were death traps where the very rich and the very poor engaged in strife that could and did turn horrifically bloody, where height shrank, lives got shorter, and misery increased to sufficient levels that in 1896, where the book ends, a signal crisis and the last gasp of Jeffersonian-Jacksonian politics died with a whimper in the Bryan vs. McKinley election. Modernity was very real, and for all the deep limitations the United States at this time really did become the juggernaut in the making that would become first a rival for global empire in 1945 and then last rat standing in 1991. But that process only began in the 1860s and was still in further motion in the 1890s and owed itself to a huge amount of luck and circumstances nobody could have foreseen short of omniscience.

10/10.

[shaktiknowledgeblog]

india china | india china news | india vs china | india china relations | military drill | India | China | Indian Ocean

China in tension, 5 countries will show the power of war in the Indian Ocean, manoeuvres ‘La Perouse’ starting from March 13 This exercise will be very important in giving advice to the Chinese Army on its activities in the Indian Ocean. The third edition of the multilateral exercise ‘La Perouse’ involving India is being conducted from 13 to 14 March 2023 in the Indian Ocean region. Image Source:…

[tezlivenews]

चीन ने LAC पर तैनात किए 100 से ज्यादा अडवांस रॉकेट लॉन्चर, बातचीत की आड़ में जंग की तैयारी?

चीन ने LAC पर तैनात किए 100 से ज्यादा अडवांस रॉकेट लॉन्चर, बातचीत की आड़ में जंग की तैयारी?

पेइचिंगभारत-चीन सीमा पर गलवान घाटी में हुई हिंसक झड़प के बाद से लाइन ऑफ एक्चुअल कंट्रोल पर असहज शांति बनी हुई है। सीमा से सैनिकों को हटाने के लिए दोनों देशों के बीच सैन्य और कूटनीतिक स्तर पर कई दौर की बातचीत भी हो चुकी है। इसके बाद भी दोनों देशों की सेनाएं कई जगहों पर आमने-सामने डटी हुई हैं। इस बीच चीन ने भारत के साथ बातचीत की आड़ में सीमा पर 100 से ज्यादा अडवांस रॉकेट लॉन्चर की तैनाती की है।…

[dbpnews]

What is China doing in Tibet amid talks with India? Doubt deepens on Jinping's intentions

What is China doing in Tibet amid talks with India? Doubt deepens on Jinping’s intentions

BeijingTalks are going on between India and China to resolve the border tension in Ladakh. On the basis of the agreement reached in these meetings, both the countries have also withdrawn their army from Pangong Tso Lake and Gogra Heights. Meanwhile, in Tibet, the Chinese army has exposed its plans once again by conducting live fire drills. There is also a report that in a few days, the 13th…

[ds4techofficial]

India, China Foreign Ministers to establish hotline

India, China Foreign Ministers to establish hotline

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during Thursday’s phone call, agreed to establish a hotline, as both sides stressed the importance of “timely” communication in the wake of last year’s border crisis. A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said that during the call, the ministers “agreed to remain in touch and establish a…

[journeytothewestresearch]

Buddha Robots!!!

According to a legend appearing in various Indian, Chinese, and Burmese translations, the ancient Indian king Ajatasatru (c. 492 to 460 BCE) had wooden, blade-wielding automatons constructed to guard the relics of the Buddha after his passing. They were known as “spirit movement machines” (Sk: bhuta vahana yanta). Some versions say they were built by a Vedic god, while another says they were based on secret plans stolen from the Romans (in a strange story of reincarnational espionage). The robots were apparently stored in a secret underground chamber beneath a stupa to await the coming of a future king (Ashoka). This brings to mind the Golden Army from Hellboy II.

While I first learned about the legend from this tweet, the info comes from Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology (2018) by Adrienne Mayor (see pages 203-211). I have uploaded a PDF of the book to my research blog server. [1] You can download it from here:

Mayor notes that the automatons do not appear in any visual media. But she uses existing Buddhist art to suggest that they were likely modeled after the muscular dvarapala and yaksha shown protecting the Buddha. What's even more interesting is that she highlights the fact that the Greek hero Heracles is depicted as one of these guardians in Greco-Buddhist art.

I've pointed this out in a previous post in which I suggested a story idea where it's Heracles, not Erlang, who faces Sun Wukong during his rebellion. If we combine that with the above info, we could have an amazingly cool fantasy sci-fi fight on our hands. Can you imagine the Monkey King going up against a celestial robot powered by the godly spirit of Heracles?!?!

Note:

Please support the official release if you enjoy the digital copy.

[news24fresh]

LAC standoff | India, China for timely troop pullback

LAC standoff | India, China for timely troop pullback

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India and China on Friday agreed to push for a “timely” and “complete” disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and to hold another round of military-level talks, set for next week, to address persisting border tensions.

This followed talks held in the day under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, convened…

[newsoutbursts]

LAC standoff | India, China for timely troop pullback

LAC standoff | India, China for timely troop pullback

India and China on Friday agreed to push for a “timely” and “complete” disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and to hold another round of military-level talks, set for next week, to address persisting border tensions.

This followed talks held in the day under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, convened through…

[newshindiplus]

मोटापे और मास्टरबेशन के कारण चीनी युवा फेल हो रहे हैं आर्मी के टेस्ट में

मोटापे और मास्टरबेशन के कारण चीनी युवा फेल हो रहे हैं आर्मी के टेस्ट में

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लद्दाख की गलवान घाटी (Galwan Valley Face off) में एक सप्ताह पहले भारत और चीन के सैनिकों के बीच हुई हिंसक झड़प (India-China Dispute) के बाद से तनाव बढ़ रहा है. चीन इस दौरान अपना सैनिक बेस और मजबूत करने में जुटा हुआ है. वैसे जिस चीन को अपने सैनिक बल पर इतना भरोसा है, उसे खड़ा करने में चीन को भारी मशक्कत करनी पड़ती है. दरअसल इस देश के जवान सेना में आना तो चाहते हैं लेकिन अपनी फिजिकल फिटनेस की…

[baaagiklm]

[awesometeennews]

Ajay Devgn to Akshay Kumar, Celebrities Mourn Soldiers Martyred in Galwan Valley Standoff

Ajay Devgn to Akshay Kumar, Celebrities Mourn Soldiers Martyred in Galwan Valley Standoff

L to R: Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Shukla

As around 20 Indian Army men on patrol were martyred in Galwan Valley on Monday night, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Esha Gupta, Mouni Roy, Rashami Desai and others offered their condolences to the slain soldiers’ families.

News18.com

Last Updated: June 17, 2020, 10:06 AM IST

An unprecedented violent clash took place in…

[dear-indies]

Hello! This might be a long shot, but do you have any fc suggestions for a vlogger/influencer/YouTuber type character? I used to use Elizabeth O1sen from Ingrid Goes West, but with her history of slurs and everything I want to switch her up. I'm good with any ethnicity, and I'm hoping they can pass for 20-25. I'm looking for a college student type. Preferably actors too if that's ok, because I feel iffy using Influencers/Models/Actual YouTubers.

Coco Jones (Vampires vs. the Bronx) African-American. 

Chelsea Rendon (Vida) Mexican.

Kasia Szarek (The Influencer)

Savannah Lee Smith (Gossip Girl) African-American.

Phoebe Walsh (Behind the Filter)

Ruby O. Fee (Army of Thieves) Costa Rican. 

Sarah Hyland (XOXO)

Madeline Brewer (Cam)

Suki Waterhouse (Assassination Nation)

Zión Moreno (1992) Mexican [Spanish and Unspecified Native American].

Sofia Carson (1993) Colombian – including Arab [Syrian-Lebanese, Palestinian], Spanish, possibly English, possibly other.

Aisha Dee (1993) African-American / White.

Beanie Feldstein (1993) Ashkenazi Jewish - doesn’t wish to label her sexuality but is openly fating another woman. 

Ashley Moore (1993) Cherokee, African-American, White.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (1994) Chinese / Italian.

Khadijha Red Thunder (1994) Chippewa Cree, African-American, Spanish - is pansexual.

Adeline Rudolph (1995) Korean / German.

Jessie Mei Li (1995) Hongkonger / British - gender nonconforming woman - she/they.

Simone Ashley (1995) Tamil Indian.

Aimee Lou Wood (1995)

Go Min Si (1995) Korean. 

Ryan Destiny (1995) 75% African-American 25% Irish.

Katherine McNamara (1995)

Cierra Ramirez (1995) Mexican / Colombian.

Josefine Frida Pettersen (1996)

Emma Mackey (1996)

Chase Sui Wonders (1996) Chinese / Unspecified.

Moon Ga Young (1996) Korean.

Milena Tscharntke (1996) 

Vitória Strada (1996) Brazilian.

Olivia Holt (1997)

Sydney Park (1997) Korean / African-American.

Kathryn Newton (1997)

Becky G (1997) Mexican – including Spanish [Andalusian, Aragonese, Asturian, Cantabrian, Castilian, Extremaduran, Leonese, and Valencian], Basque, Galician, Unspecified Indigenous, African, as well as distant Portuguese, remote German and Italian.

Vajèn van den Bosch (1998)

Katie Douglas (1998)

Lovie Simone (1998) African-American.

Kiernan Shipka (1999)

Megan Suri (1999) Indian.

Auli'i Cravalho (2000) Puerto Rican, Kānaka Maoli, Portuguese, Chinese, Irish - is bisexual. 

Also thanks to @starlingmusing and @lewistan​ for their suggestions too! 

[writingwithcolor]

Fairy Tale Retellings with POC

@anjareedd asked:

Hello, Writing with Color! First of all, thank you for all you do. Second, do you have any advice for a white person retelling fairy tales, both European fairy tale and non-European fairy tales? Is it okay to retell non-European fairy tales? I would feel bad if all fairy tales I retold were European as those are over represented, but given how much white people have erased and whitewashed other culture's fairy tales I understand if that were off-limits for a white person. Thank you!

Fairy tale retellings are my favorite thing. I love reading, rewriting and creating new fairy tale-style stories with People of Color!

As you write, keep in mind:

European does not mean white. 

The possibility of PoC in European or Western historical settings tends to throw off so many. There are plenty of European People of Color, then and today. You can have an Indian British little red riding hood and it isn’t “unrealistic.” And we wanna read about them!

Still, research the history of your settings and time period. Use multiple credible sources, as even the most well-known ones may exclude the history of People of Color or skim over it. The stories might be shoved into a corner, but we live and have lived everywhere. The specific groups (and numbers of) in a certain region may vary, though. 

How and when did they or their family get there, and why?

Has it been centuries, decades, longer than one can remember?

Who are the indigenous people of the region? (Because hey, places like America and Australia would love to have you believe its earliest people were white...)

Is there a connection with the Moors, trade, political marriage; was it simply immigration?

No need to elaborate all too much. A sentence or more woven into the story in passing may do the trick to establish context, depending on your story and circumstance. 

Or if you want to ignore all of that, because this is fantasy-London or whatever, by all means do. POC really don’t need a explanation to exist, but I simply like to briefly establish context for those who may struggle to “get it”, personally. This is a side effect of POC being seen as the Other and white as the default.

Although, if PoC existing in a fairy tale is the reader’s biggest stumbling block in a world of magic, speculation, or fantasy, that’s none of your concern.

Can you picture any of the people below, or someone with these backgrounds, the protagonist of their own fairytale? I hope so!

Above: Painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle (1760s - 1800s), British Heiress with her cousin. Check out her history as well as the movie, Belle (2013).

Source: English Heritage: Women in History - Dido Belle

 Above: Abraham Janssens - The Agrippine Sibyl - Netherlands (c. 1575)

“Since ancient times Sybils were considered seers sent by god, priestesses foretelling the coming of great events. This model serves to depict the Sybil of Agrippina, one of the 12 that foretold the coming of Christ. Notice the flagellum and crown of thrones which are symbolic objects reminding the viewer of Christs suffering.”  X

Above: “Major Musa Bhai, 3 November 1890. Musa Bhai travelled to England in 1888 as part of the Booth family, who founded the Salvation Army.” X

Above: Eleanor Xiniwe and Johanna Jonkers, respectively and other members of the African Choir, who all had portraits taken at the London Stereoscopic Company in 1891. 

“The African Choir were a group of young South African singers that toured Britain between 1891 and 1893. They were formed to raise funds for a Christian school in their home country and performed for Queen Victoria at Osborne House, a royal residence on the Isle of Wight.” X

The examples above just scratch the surface. Luckily, more and more historians and researchers are publishing lesser known (and at times purposefully masked) PoC history.

More Sources 

PoC in History (WWC Search Link)

POC in Europe (WWC Search Link)

The Black Victorians: astonishing portraits unseen for 120 years

Hidden histories: the first Black people photographed in Britain – in pictures

Let’s talk about oppression and slavery 

There is a hyper-focus on chattel slavery as if the times when and where it occurred is the only narrative that exists. And even when it is part of a Person of Color’s history, that is seldom all there is to say of the person or their lives. For example, Dido Elizabeth Belle.

People of Color were not all slaves, actively enslaved, or oppressed for racial reasons at all times in history! Dig deep into the research of your time period and region. Across the long, wide history of the world, People of Color are and were a norm and also NOT simply exceptions. Explore all the possibilities to discover the little known and seldom told history. Use this as inspiration for your writing.

PoC (especially Black people) were not always in chains, especially in a world of your making. 

Don’t get me wrong. These stories do have a place and not even painful histories should be erased. I personally read these stories as well, if and when written by someone who is from the background. Some might even combine fairy tale, fantasy, and oppression in history. However...

There are plenty of stories on oppressed PoC. How many fairy tales?

Many European tales have versions outside of Europe. 

Just because a tale was popularized under a western setting doesn’t mean that it originates there. Overtime, many were rewritten and altered to fit European settings, values and themes.

Read original tales. 

You might be inspired to include a story in its original setting. Even if you kept it in a western setting, why not consider a protagonist from the ethnicity of the story’s origin?

For example: the Cinderella most are familiar with was popularized by the French in 1697. However, Cinderella has Chinese and Greek versions that date back from the 9th Century CE and 6th Century BCE, respectively. 

Choosing a Setting: European or Non-European?

I do not see anything wrong with either (I write tales set in western and non-western settings, all with Heroines of Color). There is great potential in both.

Non-Western Settings (pros and cons)

Normalizes non-Western settings. Not just the “exotic” realm of the Other.

Potential for rich, cultural elements and representation

Requires more research and thoughtfulness (the case for any setting one is unfamiliar with, though)

European or Western Setting (pros and cons)

Normalizes PoC as heroes, not the Other, or only fit to be side characters.

Representation for People of Color who live in Western countries/regions 

Loss of some cultural elements (that character can still bring in that culture, though! Living in the West often means balancing 2+ cultures)

Outdated Color and Ethnic Symbolism 

Many fairy tales paint blackness (and darkness, and the Other) as bad, ominous and ugly, and white as good and pure. 

Language that worships whiteness as the symbol of beauty. For example: “Fair” being synonymous with beauty. Characters like Snow White being the “fairest” of them all.

Wicked witches with large hooked noses, often meant to be coded as ethnically Jewish people. 

Don’t follow an old tale back into that same pit of dark and Other phobia. There’s many ways to change up and subvert the trope, even while still using it, if you wish. Heroines and heroes can have dark skin and large noses and still stand for good, innocence and beauty.

Read: Black and White Symbolism: Discussion and Alternatives 

Non-European Fairy tales - Tips to keep in Mind: 

Some stories and creatures belong to a belief system and is not just myth to alter. Before writing or changing details, read and seek the opinions of the group. You might change the whole meaning of something by tweaking details you didn’t realize were sacred and relevant.

Combine Tales Wisely: 

Picking stories and beings from different cultural groups and placing them in one setting can come across as them belonging to the same group or place (Ex: A Japanese fairy tale with Chinese elements). This misrepresents and erases true origins. If you mix creatures or elements from tales, show how they all play together and try to include their origin, so it isn’t as if the elements were combined at random or without careful selection.

Balance is key: 

When including creatures of myths, take care to balance your Human of Color vs. creatures ratio, as well as the nature of them both (good, evil, gray moral). EX: Creatures from Native American groups but no human Native characters from that same group (or all evil, gray, or too underdeveloped to know) is poor representation.

Moral Alignment: 

Changing a good or neutral cultural creature into something evil may be considered disrespectful and misappropriation. 

Have Fun! 

No, seriously. Fairy tales, even those with the most somber of meanings, are meant to be intriguing little adventures. Don’t forget that as you write or get hung up on getting the “right message” out and so on. That’s what editing is for.

--Colette  

[news24fresh]

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews situation in eastern Ladakh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews situation in eastern Ladakh

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh with top military brass in view of the withdrawal of troops from the friction points by China’s Peoples Liberation Army, government sources said.

The defence minister carried out the review at a meeting with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane,…

[newsoutbursts]

PLA pull back from base of Finger 4, remain on ridgelines

PLA pull back from base of Finger 4, remain on ridgelines

Chinese troops have fully moved back from the base of Finger 4 to Finger 5 at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh while they continue to occupy the ridge lines of Finger 4, a defence source said. The disengagement from Patrolling Point 17A is almost complete, the source said.

Chinese troops have removed their tents and fully moved their troops and vehicles from the base of Finger 4 to Finger 5, the…

[mx08z7kz6gqrs]

新贵妃醉酒 - Translation Notes

For my translation of this song, see this post. Listen to the original version of the song here. Below are some extensive translation notes for this song- be aware that there is a lot of cultural context for this one.

So I decided to take a hand at translating this one after I realized it was one of the few songs by Li Yugang that has garnered significant western attention due to the mash-up performance with Dimash. That performance was definitely something to behold, so I highly recommend it! Also recommend this version where a few lucky (and extremely talented) fans get to sing with him.

This song is emblematic of why translating Li Yugang songs is so difficult- most of his songs are based on pre-existing Beijing operas, famous Chinese historical events, paintings with cultural significance, etc, and the lyrics border on nonsensical without the proper context. So without further ado...

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The Context

This song is based explicitly on the Beijing opera piece, <贵妃醉酒> by 杨玉环 (Mei Lan-Fang), usually translated as “The Drunken Concubine” but more accurately probably means something like “The Intoxication of the Imperial Consort.” The song is named after the opera- the name simply adds the character “新” (for “new”) in front of the opera name, indicating that this is a new way (in pop song format) of telling the tale of The Drunken Concubine.

You can read some more about the general plot of the opera here, but the gist is that the imperial consort has prepared a banquet for her lord emperor, but he has reneged on his promise and is instead spending the night with other concubines. Filled with bitterness and jealousy, she drinks herself into a deep state of intoxication.

This opera is actually one of many based on the actual historical figure of Yang Yuhuan, or “Yang Guifei”, where the Guifei “贵妃” refers to her status as one of the highest imperial consorts to the Tang dynasty Emperor Xuanzong. You can read more about her life here. The political strife happening during her husband’s reign and her own tragic end have led many future generations to mythologize her life.

While this song by Li Yugang is rooted in imagery based on The Drunken Concubine, most of the actual lyrics are based on the Tang era poem  <长恨歌> (Song of Everlasting Regret) by poet 白居易 (Bai Juyi). You can read the text here. This poem is our primary source for a lot of Yang Guifei’s life and affair with the Emperor.

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Line by Line Translation Notes

As usual, I’ve done a more literal pass over the hanzi here to clarify some of the choices I made in my translation.

那一年的雪花飘落梅花开枝头 // That year’s snowflakes fell, the plum blossoms bloomed at the tips of the branches 那一年的华清池旁留下太多愁 // That year, the banks of Huaqing Pool were left with too much sorrow

The first line paints a picture that is quite common in classical Chinese art. Plum blossoms often bloom late in the winter when snow still covers the trees, and thus are seen as harbingers of spring. Despite the presence of the snow in this line though, I think it’s likely referring to a scene in the early spring rather than the winter due to the context of the next line-

In the second line, Huaqing Pool refers to hot springs in modern Shaan’xi, China. It’s famous for being the supposed site of the Emperor Xuanzong’s romance with Yang Guifei, as recorded by Bai Juyi in the Song of Everlasting Regret (mentioned above). In the song, their romance begins on a cold day in the early spring, when she was bathing in the pool, hence that first line.

( As an aside, we don’t know if this has any actual historical basis, but if true, it would be quite poetic as the site was destroyed in the events of the An Lushan Rebellion, which ultimately led to Yang Guifei’s death and Xuanzong’s abdication. )

不要说谁是谁非感情错与对 // Don’t talk about who was right or who was wrong, feelings that are wrong and right 只想梦里与你一起再醉一回 // [I] just want to be drunk with you one more time in a dream

The first line is quite repetitive since it makes two explicit references to “right or wrong”, once in regards to people (”who”) and once in regards to emotions/feelings. But there’s some nuance to the wording here. When we talk about “是非”, there’s an implication of “true/false”, or a sense of “being true” (是) vs “being at fault/to be blamed” (非). The “对错” dichotomy used to describe their feelings in the second half of the line is a much more direct “right/wrong”. I tried to capture that as much as possible in my translation of this line.

The second line translates pretty clearly- it’s just much less poetic, so I wanted to try and get some of the tone across in my translation rather than the literal version of the line. In particular, the word “醉” for drunk/intoxicated in Chinese can be used as both an adjective and a verb directly. In English, we can only really say “to get drunk” which sounds a bit crass.

These two lines together reference back to “The Drunken Concubine” version of Yang Guifei’s character, including the idea of her feeling left behind by her Emperor.

金雀钗玉搔头是你给我的礼物 // Goldfinch hairpins and jade hair ornaments are gifts you gave to me 霓裳羽衣曲几番轮回为你歌舞 // The Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers, [I] danced and sung for you many times over

In the first line, “金雀钗玉搔头” doesn’t translate very gracefully because the type of hair ornament doesn’t have an English equivalent. A lot of hair ornamentation and jewelry was fashioned with imagery of birds (goldfinches, swallows, etc) and often made of jade. Here’s a post compiling what these ornaments might have looked like.

In the second line, “霓裳羽衣曲” actually refers to a specific Tang dynasty song that’s usually translated as “Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers.” The song describes a myth of Emperor Xuanzong- in his desire to meet “神仙” (celestial/immortal beings), he travels to the Moon Palace (月宫) where he meets many “仙女” (celestial maidens). There are conflicting records regarding the origins of the piece. One text saying that the Emperor travelled to the mountains and was inspired by a dream in which he travelled to the Moon Palace. Another record reveals that it’s likely the tune was adapted from a “western” (aka Indian) piece known as the “Brahman Tune.” Historians generally believe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, the performance of this piece includes extensive singing, dancing, and instrumentation, and it is considered one of the greatest pieces of Tang dynasty art recorded. You can watch a modern rendition of this performed by Li Yugang himself here.

Both these lines have specific references to lines from the Bai Juyi’s poem. The goldfinch jewelry is referenced in Line 40 as part of what she wore when she was sentenced to death, and Line 98 references the Emperor’s memories of her beauty when she danced the Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers. 

剑门关是你对我深深的思念 // The Jianmen Pass is your deep remembrance for me 马嵬坡下愿为真爱魂断红颜 // Below the Mawei slopes, a beautiful young woman is willing to break her soul for true love

The Jianmen Pass is a mountain pass in the Sichuan province of China. It’s famous for being incredibly narrow and hard to travel through, but also one of the key positions for armies to gain control of the Sichuan region due to its strategic location. In the context of this song, it refers to Emperor Xuanzong’s retreat to Sichuan during the An Lushan Rebellion, after which he abdicated the throne. Yang Guifei dies at Mawei before they actually manage to cross the mountain pass.

Jianmen is referenced in Line 44 of Bai Juyi’s poem, as part of the Emperor’s mourning after Yang Guifei’s death. I’ve interpreted this line to mean that the harsh trip through the mountain pass became part of the Emperor’s profound sense of “思念”, a longing remembrance for something that is now gone.

The second line goes into more detail on the end of Yang Guifei’s life, making explicit reference to “马嵬坡” (Mawei slopes), the name of the place she died, and where she was buried.. Here, her willingness to sacrifice herself for her love is described with “魂断红颜.” The words “魂断” literally translates to “to break/cut short [one’s] soul/spirit”, and in context, can refer to both a physical and spiritual death. The characters in “红颜” literally translates to “red/rosy cheeks” and used together refers to a young and beautiful woman.

In this case, “a young woman dies at the bottom of the Mawei slopes for [the sake of] true love.”

爱恨就在一瞬间 // In a single moment, love and hate 举杯对月情似天 // Raised their glasses in a toast towards the moon, feelings like the sky/heavens 爱恨两茫茫 // Love and hate, the two are boundless 问君何时恋 // Ask [my] lord when you will love

The first line and the first half of the second line part of one sentence, while the second half “情似天” (feelings like the sky/heavens) kind of breaks off into its own thought, but the general imagery for all of the first 3 lines is the joining of both love and hate as emotions that are boundless and, in the singer, the two have joined together in her thoughts towards her lord.

The last line here is a little more difficult to translate because the singer is asking “君” (a pronoun sometimes translated to lord or gentleman, but generally describes a man of high moral standing in particular) when he will “恋” (love). In Chinese, there is a distinction between “爱” and “恋” when referring to love. The first generally encompasses the concept of love (familial, platonic, romantic) in general- it is the direct opposite of the word “恨” for hate. “恋” on the other hand refers specifically to romantic (and sexual) love. It’s sometimes translated as “passion”, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be what we think of as passionate.

This whole section is a reference back to the plot of the original opera <贵妃醉酒>, where Yang Guifei is drinking alone in the night, full of jealousy and bitterness towards a lord that has chosen the company of others.

菊花台倒影明月 // The chrysanthemum terrace reflects the light of a bright moon 谁知吾爱心中寒 // Who could know that my love could [turn] my heart so cold 醉在君王怀 // Drunk in the embrace of my lord 梦回大唐爱 // Dreams take me back to the love of the Great Tang [dynasty]

For the first line, the significant part is the reference to the chrysanthemum flower. It’s often seen as a flower of nobility, and is considered one of the “四君子” (Four Lords/Gentlemen) of Chinese flowers. In this song, the chrysanthemum terrace is likely meant to evoke the nobility/royalty of the lord the singer is waiting for- the fact that he is not there and only the moonlight remains reflecting off the surface is a poignant image.

Interestingly enough, if we want to take the interpretation further, there’s some other room for analysis. The chrysanthemum is a contrast to the plum blossoms mentioned at the beginning of this song as heralds beginning of autumn. They can be made into chrysanthemum wine, which is often drunk for longevity and good health- this links back to the liquor imagery in the rest of the song. Because of their associations with longevity in general, they’re also common funeral flowers, and as we know from the earlier, this song is written from the point of view of a singer who is already dead.

The second line is a bit ambiguous- the phrasing of the original Chinese line could mean “who could know” (as in, how could anyone else see/understand) or it could be “who would have known” (as in, who could have predicted such an unexpected outcome). The English phrase “who knew” leans towards the second, but I went with it because it sounds a little more natural.

In the third line, I translated “君王” as “my lord” just like I did with the “君” alone earlier, but it’s worth noting that the extra “王” in this word means “king” so it is probably more along the lines of “majesty” than just “lord.”

The final line of the song refers to the singer dreaming again of “大唐爱” (literally love of the Great Tang). “大唐” is usually how we refer to the Tang dynasty in general.

I’ve chosen to interpret this line to mean that the singer is remembering her time in the great Tang palaces as part of the dynasty before everything fell apart and the Emperor was forced to flee. As a result, I’ve appended “palace” to this line in my translation since just making a reference to “Tang” sounds awkward and doesn’t mean anything to an English speaking audience.

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And that is all for my notes on this song! This ended up being much longer than I originally anticipated, but there was just so much literary and historical context behind this one. I ended up learning a bunch of things while researching this, and I hope someone else finds this as fascinating as I do!

Li Yugang has a lot of love for classical Chinese culture, and even more than that, he wants to bring it to a larger audience through his own blend of pop music and traditional Chinese operatic poetry. I really enjoyed working on this, and will try to do a few more of his songs in the future!