Translations of ‘Quiet Night Pondering’ by Li Bai and a Nostradamus Quatrain, Dedicated to Hong Kong Protesters, by Evan Mantyk

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Quiet Night Pondering

by Li Bai (701-762)

A bed before the bright moonlight.
Does frost below lie on these halls?
I lift my head: the moon is bright.
I lower it—my homeland calls!

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Original Chinese

靜夜思
李白
床前明月光
疑是地上霜
舉頭望明月
低頭思故鄉

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Century X Quatrain 74

by Nostradamus (1503-1566)

The year completed of the great seventh number,
Appears at the time of Sacrificial Slaughter,
Not far off from the great millennial age,
When those once buried come out of their grave.

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Original French

An reuolu du grand nombre septiesme,
Apparoistra au temps ieux d’Hecatombe,
Non esloigné du grand eage milliesme,
Que les entrez sortiront de leur tombe.

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Possible Interpretation: This year is the 70th anniversary (“great seventh number”) of the Chinese Communist Party’s take over of China in 1949. Some terrible violence (“Sacrificial Slaughter,” originally “Hecatombe,” meaning literally a tomb for 100 slaughtered in sacrifice) occurs against protesters in Hong Kong or perhaps elsewhere. The “millennial age” line may mean not far into the new millennium, as we would appear now to Nostradamus, or perhaps not far from an age yet to come in the new millennium. The last line indicates that those millions who have been devastated or murdered by the communist regime in its seventy years of nonstop barbarities will return in spirit, perhaps to wreak, or perhaps simply to witness, vengeance destined to be inflicted on the Chinese Communist Party, its members, its leaders, and its enablers.

It’s worth noting that this type of sacrificial slaughter (“hecatomb”) was typically done at the end of the Olympic games in ancient Greece.

translations and interpretation by Evan Mantyk

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