霸陵折柳 · Breaking Willow at Baling Pass

A Han dynasty official receives his commission and rides out through Baling at dawn. He snaps a sprig of willow from the bridge — the ancient Chinese custom of 折柳送別, breaking a branch for the one who departs, because 柳 (liǔ, willow) shares its sound with 留 (liú, to stay). The bronze seal is cold in his satchel. Yellow dust swallows the road south of Chang'an. The pipa opens alone, as if the strings themselves remember every parting made on this same bridge.

Lead instrument: Pipa · Counter-melody: Guqin & Erhu · Percussion: Frame drum · Tempo: ~68 bpm pentatonic minor

[引子] 霸陵橋畔晨風寒

[主歌一] 霸陵橋畔晨風寒 一握楊柳贈君難 銅印未暖已啟程 黃塵十里遮長安

[主歌二] 烏鴉啼罷殘星沒 玉帶河邊草色殘 折得柔條千萬縷 不及離人一聲歎

[副歌] 此去關山幾萬重 誰憐孤騎向西風 折柳年年橋下路 柳絲年年不繫情

[主歌三] 漢家烽火照邊城 驛馬嘶鳴破晨晴 印綬在身身在外 故園回首已無聲

[橋段] 柳色依舊橋色新 歲歲年年別故人 長安城闕沉暮靄 此別不知何日春

[副歌] 此去關山幾萬重 誰憐孤騎向西風 折柳年年橋下路 柳絲年年不繫情

[尾聲] 一枝折柳入懷中 千里關山路漸空