Butterflies Lingering over Flowers-Parting in the Early Morning
- Poetry of Zhou Bangyan

《蝶恋花·早行》

English Rendering

The crow feels restless,startled by moonlight,

The waterclock drips out as later grows the night,

The windlass lifts water from the well painted gold.

She wakes me with her beaming eyes so bright,

I find the pillow wet with tears and cold.


I take her hand in mine when the frosty wind blows 

And her soft-lift hair on her forehead flows.

I'm loath to leave

But it will further grieve 

To hear her bid adieu.

She can see from upstairs the stars'Plough in the sky 

While I am far away,my mantle damp with dew,

And hear cocks'crow arouse some echoes far and nigh.

Butterflies Lingering over Flowers-Parting in the Early Morning  by Zhou Bangyan -
Butterflies Lingering over Flowers-Parting in the Early Morning by Zhou Bangyan

Original Text (中文原文)

月皎惊乌栖不定。

更漏将残,轳辘牵金井。

唤起两眸清炯炯。

泪花落枕红棉冷。

执手霜风吹鬓影。

去意徊徨,别语愁难听。

楼上阑干横斗柄。

露寒人远鸡相应。

Meaning & Analysis

This lyric depicts the scenes before,during,and after the parting of a husband from his wife.

Related Themes

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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