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Chu-Han chunqiu 楚漢春秋 "Spring and Autumn Between the Kingdoms of Chu and Han" was a chronicle on the wars between the warlords Xiang Yu 項羽, the Hegemonial King of West-Chu 西楚霸王, and Liu Bang 劉邦 (the eventual Emperor Gaozu 漢高祖, r. 206/02-195 BCE) after the downfall of the Qin dynasty 秦 (221-206 BCE), and of the first decades of the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) until the early years of the reign of Emperor Wen 漢文帝 (r. 180-157 BCE).
The book was compiled by Lu Jia 陸賈 (d. 170 BCE), one of the early ministers of the Han. It is several times quoted in commentaries on the history Shiji, but after the Tang period 唐 (618-907) the Chu-Han chunqiu was lost. It is not sure now long the original was (statements in various bibliographies range from 9 to 20 juan). Fragments of the text were compiled by the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) collector Mao Panlin 茆泮林 (d. 1845). The collection it to be found in the series Shi zhong guyi shu 十種古逸書 and Longxi jingshe congshu 龍谿精舍叢書.
| 有美人名虞，常幸從；駿馬名騅，常騎之。於是項王乃悲歌慷慨，自為詩曰： | With him were the beautiful lady Yu, who enjoyed his favor and followed wherever he went, and his famous steed Dapple, which he always rode. Xiang Yu, filled with passionate sorrow, began to sing sadly, composing this song: |
時不利兮騅不逝。 騅不逝兮可柰何， 虞兮虞兮柰若何！」 |
My strength plucked up the hills, My might shadowed the world; But the times were against me, And Dapple runs no more. When Dapple runs no more, What then can I do? Ah, Yu, my Yu, What will your fate be? |
| 歌數闋，美人和之。 | He sang the the song several times through, and Lady Yu joined her voice with his. |
| 【正義】《楚漢春秋》云：「歌曰 『漢兵已略地， 四方楚歌聲。 大王意氣盡， 賤妾何聊生』。」 |
【Zhengyi】 commentary. The Chu-Han chunqiu says, there was a popular song, saying: "The troops of the King of Han have already conquered the land of Chu, and from all four sides, their soldiers sing songs of Chu. Courage and will of the Great King were exhausted - how could a low-standing concubine bring back his spirits ?". |
Shiji 史記, ch. 7 Xiang Yu benji 項羽本紀, translation of the main text according to Burton Watson 1961, Vol. 1: 70. A quotation of the Chu-Han chunqiu is included in Zhang Shoujie's 張守節 (late 7th century) Zhengyi commentary. |
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