Apple Records is the Dickensian songwriter of the Ming Dynasty, who sang of the joys and tribulations of working on farms all summer and then returning to the city for the winter. It's kind of like movies that take place at the Poconos summer resorts, or Meatballs, or even part of Caddyshack, except its a little different. Strawberry Fields forever. "I wish the wheat combine had already been invented." "Don't complain, brother."
Some of these have some kind of double title, mildly confusing like a deep Beatles song. These tx's all avoid the really really boring typical method, exemplified by stuff like "The stork visits the holy mountain/My thoughts are far away/the bell sounds in the distance/The ocean comforts me" that definitely don't deliver any congruent value to the reader. It's more of a translational power move, involving "What is this guy actually saying?" and "Will it fit on a T-shirt or a compact disk?"
Apple Records' songs include:
别云间 Another factory/farm is hiring!
卜算子 断肠 My stack of poker chip acorns is getting low, I'd better get some more - and I hope I win so I can sleep in the cozy stable tonight
绝句 "Hold that thought" or "That's not a sentence" (comic)
一剪梅 柳 There sure are some weird people out in the country (mild awe) -- Willow
烛影摇红 The owner of the farm wants us to burn some bugs that are eating the wheat seedlings (yuk)
婆罗门引 春尽夜 This is a nice place. Too bad the old people in the city couldn't make it out this time. I wonder if they are having a good summer? (nudge nudge) ---Awesome country campfire sleeping arrangements
两同心 有梦 Awww, I have to bunk with that tough dude -- and I hope to have a dream inspired by nature (Walt Whitman, transcendentalism)
寻芳草 别恨 The owner of the farm isn't around. Does he mean for us to take a break? -- I am unfamiliar to this (particular) brand of hatred...very puzzling...we should make a note of this particular person and talk about it over the winter. This one is like something one encounters while working at Burger King.
精卫 Jerk Work or Clearly Boring Seminal Experience
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诗词名:别云间 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:五律 类型:
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别云间 They're Hiring!
三年羁旅客,3 years normal harsh guest work just like every body else
今日又南冠。 Please contact us today as places tend to fill up
无限山河泪,Doctors available on site
谁言天地宽!Professional entertainment and music provided on weekends
已知泉路近,Are you on scholarship?
欲别故乡难。We have a small library.
毅魄归来日,You could get married.
灵旗空际看。We observe OSHA regulations.
诗词名:绝句 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁: 类型:
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This title reminds me Beatles interviews on TV, selling their movies, entering the airport terminal, etc. If one didn't grow up seeing these on a regular basis, well, one should look it up at YouTube, the Beatles are pretty funny. "It's been a hard day's......night." This is not a funny Beatles poem, it's about that zone of activity where the Beatles sense of humor is an important commodity. "If there's nothing to do after work, then why would people go to work in the first place?" I suppose "Apple Records" thought about the values of an entertainment career a lot while he was doing summer contract work.
绝句 Not really a proper sentence/Unfinished thoughts
扁舟明月两峰间,In the trap of working for the Warren Buffets it's not realistic to be so happy
千顷芦花人未远。If a thousand unsaid thoughts are makin' ya suffer
缥缈苍茫不可接, If you yearn for mutton, why not change your job, you're young! It's not like there is some great shortage of problems to solve in any of the associated entertainment industries. Magazines, theatres, music publishing - office work R us.
白云空翠洞庭山。A blizzard of paperwork and Goldie Hawn's personal manager on the phone. Sounds great.
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诗词名:寻芳草 别恨 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:词 类型:
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Here is the song about talking about the harsh manager while taking a break because "if the owner or manager isn't here that means that we have to take a rest"
寻芳草 别恨
几阵杜鹃啼,That guy thinks he is so cute working like a machine talking about his harp lessons back in the city, thinks he likes to give useless orders.
却在那,I'm sick of it.
杏花深处。This actual apricot flower is the true basis of the future of this farm, of this society, not him who just thinks he's one.
小禽儿,At the campfire last night he pretended to be a popular culture idol, and he needs to find something he's good at
唤得人归去,He is the embodiment of moral law
唤不得愁归去。 Uplifting us when we should be getting down and dirty with it. Do we have to put up with this all summer, and why do we have to worry about being "clean" when the farm manager made such big deal about how we should swim at the lake every morning and night if we needed to?
离别又春深, He monopolizes the sex environment attention budget regularly, because he looks kind of good and healthy
最恨也, He is hated by some
多情飞絮。 He is always talking about how disciplined he is while studying harp back at the city, is how he gets over.
恨柳丝, Well, think of it this way, he loves to sleep under that willow tree, yes?
系得离愁住, It's kind of like learning the harp, yes?
系不得离人住。 If he does love it so much, why not sort of keep that wintertime music lesson environment going here instead of getting hatey about it? ok
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Here's the one about being Dale Gribble for a week, and how difficult it is to do pest control in a barn or storage area, or field, especially before the advent of modern chemistry.
诗词名:烛影摇红 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:词 类型:
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This is kind of like a dialogue between two workers
烛影摇红
辜负天工,I have killed a billion bugs, I am Mister Sunshine, it's my stock in trade, the cops will think I'm Jack the Ripper when I try to charm my way into Music Hall for free like I sometimes can do, to talk with the talent people, damn, this job doesn't suit me
九重自有春如海。 - Why don't you work it into your charming personality. "Hey, you have no insect problems, love!"
佳期一梦断人肠, "Yeah, and it is such a chore to do so. My dreams suck now. One billion bugs is what I am seeing."
静倚银釭待。- Oh, you're a murderer.
隔浦红兰堪采,"It's like the copper pennies I usually dream about have been replaced wholesale."
上扁舟, "I am a bad bad King Midas. The opposite of Midas. What is Midas spelled backwards?"
伤欵乃。 "Oh, my leisuretime nothingness is ruined."
梨花带雨, - A rack of flowers with raining petals would suit you, as something to look at, or as an interior decorating motif.
柳絮迎风, - Or purple willows as a change of pace.
一番愁债。 - Or some kind of tomato basket tomato sauce kind of thing.
回首当年, "If I have to do this next year,
绮楼画阁生光彩。I will not have any artistic choice in the matter."
朝弹瑶瑟夜银筝, "I will spend time at Pachinko instead of at the Music Hall.
歌舞人潇洒。 And my dancing will change from happy to alcoholic."
一自市朝更改,- If you simply observe the laws of our mental nature, you know that
暗销魂, everybody more or less has to deal with this kind of thing
繁华难再。 and you can do as others do instead of being a vaguely threatening chicken about it.
金钗十二,"Well, that is solid gold,
珠履三千, I am glad I had this chat,
凄凉万载。 I owe you a beer and please remember this for me next time I get irritated about this. Which could be tomorrow. Hopefully. Hopefully not."
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精卫 Clearly Boring Seminal Experience
北风荡天地,The cold north wind is making boring soup out of my summer memories
有鸟鸣空林。The only life here is the birds that stay in the forest, as there is no food in the fields at this date
志长羽翼短,Going inside with the farm family was not part of my job description
衔石随浮沈。Nor was doing errands in town
崇山日以高,Going to church/temple is part of my list of work privileges
沧海日以深。As is playing quoits and drinking
愧非补天匹,I can afford to do things that aren't part of the summer work curriculum
延颈振哀音。Like going for my GED or reading Moby Dick
辛苦徒自力,The cops and the old guys are friendly to me
慷慨谁为心?I see them at the inn near here
滔滔东逝波,Actually, drinking and playing quoits is an important part of wintering at a farm
劳劳成古今。As a temporary employee.
From the ishici notes: 精卫 is the name of a type of bird^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
词名:婆罗门引 春尽夜 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:词 类型:
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A nice song about summer farm work life - a letter home
婆罗门引 春尽夜
晚鸦飞去,This place has a huge 4,000 year old sundial in perfect condition
一枝花影送黄昏。That alone makes it worth it
春归不阻重门。 Things are fresh and alive
辞却江南三月,Peppers never seemed hotter
何处梦堪温。 And the scenery is too good - better than a vacation
更阶前新绿,I have a steady mate
空锁芳尘。 And I will be in decent shape financially when I return in November
随风摇曳云, This place is an actual farm like from economics class or the supermarket
不须兰棹朱轮。 You don't have to read about it, you can live it
只有梧桐枝上, I have no bills to pay for the time being
留得三分。 Its a nice feeling
多情皓魄, When thunderstorms come and they cancel work in the rice fields
怕明宵还照旧钗痕。 It's like a blizzard that shuts down the city
登楼望, We light the lamp
柳外销魂。 And have a merry celebration
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两同心 有梦 Why do I have to bunk with the tough dude?
梦到扬州, I am now dreaming of living on another continent
依然南浦。 I have put my name on my shirts
绮罗如梦锦如尘, It feels so strange, this guy
香车宝马知何处。 It affects every sense and distracts me from surviving and doing well here
翠烟笼, He has smoking rules for himself
十里隋堤, And has sleeping rules for himself
茫茫飞絮。 And doesn't eat fruit unless it's perfectly fresh
举目魂消肠断,He is mildly freaky and mildly abusive
春光如许。 Spring's genesis is a chore and a burden.
琼花消息竟飘零, He likes talking about Lord of the Rings ---
荒台古苑春无主。 And takes it quite seriously the disasters faced in that and other books like it
想莺花, I love this guy like a flower
十二楼前, He knows accounting
迷离烟雨。 And through all his idiosycracies is a very solid guy
I am the walrus, kook ook a chook
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诗词名:一剪梅 柳 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:词 类型:
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This is the one about leaving the city again in the spring and of course being mildly surprised and discomfited by the change of scenery.
This is also sort of a dialogue, like between the diner waitress in the "Bubble Boy"
Seinfeld episode, and someone like George Harrison and Ringo Starr's great-great grandparents.
一剪梅 柳 Strange looking person/Willow
无限伤心夕照中,"Don't defend yourself, you're as safe as a piece of livestock here .... and worth about as much."
故国凄凉,- You seem.....rustic..... and cold.
剩粉余红。 "Well, cutie, lose those city duds and put on these generic overalls."
金沟御水日西东。 - Great. Actually.
昨岁陈宫,"Yesterday's dream (our plan) was to double the size of this farm.
今岁隋宫。 In order to do so we need some smarts power, for sure, if you've got it."
往事思量一饷空, Well it seems like a decent place. Can we get back here next year, as a possibility?
飞絮无情,依旧烟笼。 "We'll see how you do in the sack and at the sleepout. You look well, I can say that much."
长条短叶翠濛濛。 - Never forget what a good employee is worth, maybe we're at a real farm instead of a cheap sex farm.
才过西风,Talentocracy. Staminocracy. Comedocracy.
又过东风。Nice to see you.
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诗词名:卜算子 断肠 作者:夏完淳 朝代:明 体裁:词 类型:
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Here's the one about acorns and pinecones as poker chips, playing for sleeping arrangements, its about strip poker.
卜算子 断肠 Strip Poker and Losing At It
秋色到空闺, I am turning an autumn color because I am going to lose, and I need the sex
夜扫梧桐叶。 I am cleaning my aura and feeling a wooden hollow inside my thorax
谁料同心结不成, People are talking about "fighting" so that I am forced to become very docile in my nature at this time
翻就相思结。 And flying away is an option, is another conversation topic.
十二玉阑干,I lack pinecones and cannot find anymore.
风动灯明灭。 I know, because the game is closed.
立尽黄昏泪几行, I can't really say "yes" because people will get excited and I feel kind of ugly like a stork; I know from experience that I look just the opposite to the rest of the group.
一片鸦啼月。All I have left is one freaking acorn. I grow feeble and excited.
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Apple Records - 夏完淳 - translates literally to "Summer Graduation Truths"
Apple Records' page at ishici