The Cup of Solid Gold

Introduction

The Cup of Solid Gold (simplified Chinese: 巩金瓯; traditional Chinese: 鞏金甌; pinyin: Gǒng Jīn'ōu; Wade–Giles: Kung³ Chin¹-ou¹, IPA: [kʊ̀ŋ tɕín.óu]) was the first official national anthem of China. It was created during the Qing dynasty in 1911 and was used until 1912, the date of the establishment of the Republic of China.

History

The melody was composed by Pu Tong (溥侗), a high-ranking officer of the Imperial Guard. The lyrics, in Classical Chinese, were penned by Yan Fu, commander of the Qing Navy. Guo Cengxin (郭曾炘), Master of Ceremonies, made some minor adjustments and arranged the music. Gong Jin'ou was adopted by the Qing government on the 13th Day and 8th Month of the 3rd Year of the Xuantong Emperor's reign (October 4, 1911). However, the Wuchang Uprising occurred only six days later, effectively leading to the end of the Qing dynasty with the declaration of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912 and the abdication of the emperor on February 12, 1912. As a result, the anthem never gained any notability. Since it praises the Qing dynasty specifically, it is also a royal anthem.

Lyrics

原文	语译
巩金瓯 承天帱 民物欣凫藻 喜同袍 清时幸遭 真熙皞 帝国苍穹保 天高高 海滔滔	国土如金瓯巩固， 受天覆庇。 民众万物如野鸭嬉于水藻般欣悦。 喜见同袍 有幸遇着太平时世， 真是和乐自得。 帝国蒙上苍保佑。 青天高高在上， 大海翻腾不息。

英译

严复曾将歌词译成英文如下：

Firm and Stable be the "golden cup" (which means the empire) domed by the Celestial concave. In it men and things happily prosper. Glad are we who live in the time of Purity. May Heaven protect and secure us from enemies and help us to reach the truly golden age! Oh! The Blue firmament is infinitely high and the seas flow everlastingly.