The mountain’s colour, and the river’s tone,
Grow clear together. I have raised the screen
And wait the growing moonlight, here alone.
Then from a boat that rides the wave nearby,
A flute‑note comes — and all the ancient pain
Of parting friends is uttered in that cry.
山色江声相与清，卷帘待得月华生。
可怜一曲并船笛，说尽故人离别情。
This poem was composed during Huang Tingjian's period of political exile. While the exact year is difficult to confirm, it is estimated to have been written after the Shaosheng era (1094-1098). Huang Tingjian's official career was fraught with hardship, especially in his later years. In 1094, the first year of the Shaosheng era, he was accused of "slandering the late emperor" due to his work on the Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong. As a result, he was demoted to the post of Assistant Prefect of Fuzhou and sent to reside in Qianzhou. In 1098, he was further relocated to Rongzhou. During his years in exile, the poet was far from his homeland, cut off from correspondence with friends, his heart accumulating endless longing and solitude.
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.