From war-torn riverside towns we fled,
Now meeting—joy and shock both spread.
After so many years apart,
I ask of childhood names, my heart
Turns wistful with each cup we drain,
Discussing texts, young scholars pain.
I know your scrolls will brim so bright,
They’ll make Jiangcheng’s paper dear overnight.
乱后自江城，相逢喜复惊。
为经多载别，欲问小时名。
对酒悲前事，论文畏后生。
遥知盈卷轴，纸贵在江城。
Composed after the An Lushan Rebellion when Cui Dong encountered his long-lost brother-in-law Zheng Sun by chance in River City, this poem captures the complex emotions of their impending farewell as Zheng prepares to depart for the capital. Through exquisitely observed details and profoundly sincere language, the poet renders their wartime reunion - a tender scene of kindred spirits reunited, knees nearly touching as they share memories by the hearth. Against the bleak postwar backdrop, this meeting offers not just warmth but also the startling realization of time's passage, brimming with nostalgia for vanished years, cherished bonds, and hopeful aspirations for a loved one's future. The poem's emotional cadence flows like drifting clouds and running water, at once grounded in harsh reality yet resonating with deep feeling.
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.
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.
Journey through the dynasties. Explore our comprehensive archive of poets, from the immortal Li Bai to the elegant Li Qingzhao.
View All Poets →CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts.