Consort Yu's death song, year 202 B.C.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consort_Yu

Above: Consort Yu.

Consort Yu (died 202 B.C.), also known as "Yu the Beauty", was the wife of the warlord Xiang Yu, who competed with Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, for supremacy over China in the Chu–Han Contention (206-202 BC).

This verse was sung by Consort Yu after Xiang Yu sang the Song of Gaixia. She committed suicide with Xiang Yu's sword after singing.

The poem:

漢兵已略地，

四面楚歌聲。

大王義氣盡，

賤妾何聊生。

Romanisation (in reconstructed Old Chinese):

hnaːns praŋ lɯʔ ɡ·raɡ l'els, hljids mens sŋ̊ʰraʔ kaːl sreŋs.

daːds  ɢʷaŋ ŋrals kʰɯds zlinʔ, zlens sʰeb ɡaːl m·rɯːw sreŋs.

Romanisation (modern):

Hàn bīng yǐ lüè dì, sìmiànchǔgē shēng.

Dàwáng yìqì jǐn, jiàn qiè hé liáo shēng.

English translation:

The Han army has conquered our land;

Surrounded with the singing of Chu;

My lord's spirits are low;

Why then should I live?