Xia Da’s upcoming series: Bu Tian Ge
#killbillsirens #itshappeningeverybodystaycalm.gif
Xia Da’s recently finished and published Shi Yi Lu in print, and since there’s still no news about Chang Ge Xing, this is what I’m gonna feed on in the next decade of my life.
Xia Da’s weibo update, May 4 2018:
How to obtain a sword that tears open the sky—
—to cross the sea and take down enemies ferocious as great whales.
Please expect my new manhua series, “Song of the sky-watchers.”
Xia Da’s weibo update, May 6 2018:
At the beginning of remote antiquity, Who was there to transmit the tale? When above and below had not yet taken shape, By what means could they be examined?
When darkness and light were obscured, Who could fathom them? When primal matter was the only form, How could it be recognized?
Brightness became bright and darkness dark; What has caused them to be like this? Yin and yang commingle; What was basic, what transformed?
Please expect my new manhua series, “Song of the sky-watchers.”
A few notes on the name and the poems:
1. 步天 (bù tiān) in 步天歌 (bù tiān gē) means to measure the celestial bodies, essentially astrometry. In my translation, I decided to go with the general vague “sky-watching.”
2. The couplet in the first weibo update is from a poem by Li Bai 李白, albeit slightly altered by Xia Da. The poem in turns assumes the voice of a noble man expressing his sorrow and frustration, as well as his wish to put his talents in use. Translation attempt is mine; the original couplet as posted by Xia Da is as followed: “ 安得裂天剑, 跨海斩长鲸.”
3. The verses in the second weibo update is directly quoted from “Heavenly Questions” 天问, which is part of Songs of Chu 屈原, a collection of poems commonly attributed to Qu Yuan 楚原. Translation is here; original verses are as followed: “遂古之初，谁传道之？上下未形，何由考之？/ 冥昭瞢暗，谁能极之？冯翼惟象，何以识之？/ 明明暗暗，惟时何为？阴阳三合，何本何化？”
Technically “Heavenly Questions” is a series of questions in verse addressing “heaven” regarding various myths, at least as of pre-Qin era in China. The poem and the collection to which it belongs are very old and arguably supremely sophisticated, both in content and in poetic style - which is to say that it’s totally beyond my current capacity to fully comprehend and provide an adequate translation lol
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