English Rendering
At roadside inn I pass the Winter Solstice Day
Clasping my knees, with my shadow in company.
I think, till dead of night my family would stay,
And talk about the poor lonely wayfaring me.
Thinking of Home on Winter Solstice Night at Handan
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
《邯郸冬至夜思家》
Original Text (中文原文)
邯郸驿里逢冬至，抱膝灯前影伴身。
想得家中夜深坐，还应说着远行人。
Analysis & Context
This poem was written on the Winter Solstice night of the year 804 (the 20th year of Emperor Dezong’s Zhenyuan reign in the Tang Dynasty). Bai Juyi was 33 years old at the time, serving as a junior compiler in the Secretariat. On this day, which is traditionally meant for family reunions, Bai Juyi found himself alone in a post station in Handan. The poem conveys his deep longing for home and his imagined concern for his family during the festival.
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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