Riley
Last week, a musician played and sang Jiang Kui's "An Xiang" for me. It was the first time I had heard that song played on the guitar and found it unbearably sad. I think Jiang Kui would have been surprised and delighted that an Italian musician, nearly a thousand years after his time, played this timeless melody. Some things can only be understood firsthand. When I was young, I heard someone playing the slower melody of "Lament in the Pavilion”. I liked it very much, so I enrolled in a guqin class, but it was too far away. At that time in my life, I was stressed, so I had to give it up. Perhaps only people who move frequently can understand the travels in Jiang Kui's mid and later life. "But now your poet is getting old, and he has forgotten the love and lyrics; yet, he still resents the few flowers beyond the bamboo, for their chilling fragrance has crept into his chamber."
Sep 15, 2024 9:25 AM