From Sima Xiangru's "Phoenix Begging for Phoenix" in the Han Dynasty, the original excerpt:

Why do you want to be a mandarin duck, and it is soaring! Burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, burning.

Who knows in the middle of the night? My wings fly high and my thoughts make me sad.

Translation:

How can I get married by this beautiful marriage and be that loving, horizontal-necked mandarin duck? I hope my phoenix bird can fly with you and swim in the sky. Burning bird, burning bird, I wish you and I can live together, be inseparable, raise children and be my spouse forever.

Love is congenial, and two hearts are in harmony. Follow me in the middle of the night, who will know? Spread your wings and fly away, thinking of you in vain makes me sad.

Extended data

Creative background:

This poem is said to be the lyrics of Yellow, which sings like a piano. Because this poem was not included in Historical Records, it was not included until Xu Ling of the Chen Dynasty compiled Yutai New Poetry, and added a preface to explain that Lei Ju of Literature and Art in the Tang Dynasty and Yuefu Poetry in the Song Dynasty were also included, so it is suspected that it was written by a pianist in the Han Dynasty under the guise of Sima Xiangru.

Ideological theme:

This song "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" expresses Sima Xiangru's infinite admiration and ardent pursuit of Zhuo Wenjun.

This poem is bolder and more intense, secretly dating Wen Jun in the middle of the night and eloping together. "Breeding tail" refers to the mating of male and female birds and animals. The first two sentences call for Wen Jun to have a quiet marriage, while the third and fourth sentences imply that they love each other and elope overnight, and no one will know. Five or six sentences show that you are far away, reminding each other not to let me down, and feeling sorry for homesickness in vain.

Gai Xiangru bribed Wen Jun's handmaid in advance, and knew Wen Jun's widowed mental state and ideal of love for a long time. Now he chose with his heart, so he dared to be so bold. The whole poem is shallow and profound in meaning, with smooth and lively syllables and passionate feelings. It combines the beauty of Chu Ci with the freshness of Han folk songs in one furnace, which cannot be surpassed by future generations.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Feng Qiuhuang