Book 2 Chapter 8
Origin of the Chapter's Title[]
The title 忽闻悲风调 (Hū wén bēi fēng tiáo) is a line from the poem Listening to Lu Zishun Play the Qin on a Moonlit Evening (月夜听卢子顺弹琴)[1] by Li Bai, a famous poet from the Tang Dynasty. The title of the novel also comes from a Li Bai poem (see Book 1).
忽闻悲风调 can be translated as:
- Suddenly, as if the cold pines were singing[2]
The full poem:
闲夜坐明月。
幽人弹素琴。
忽闻悲风调。
宛若寒松吟。
白雪乱纤手。
绿水清虚心。
钟期久已没。
世上无知音。[3]
A full English translation of the poem can be read here on page 28.