Pale Yellow Willows: Morning Horn in an Empty City
- Poetry of Jiang Kui
The dawn horn blows through the empty town,
Its wail drifting down willow-lined lanes.
On horseback, in thin robes—the chill gnaws deep.
I’ve seen all these golds and tender greens before—
Every hue an old acquaintance from Jiangnan.
In this stillness,
Tomorrow comes the Cold Food Festival again.
I force myself to bring wine
To her house by the little bridge,
Dreading the day pear blossoms all fall,
Turning spring to autumn.
Swallows dart past,
Asking where spring has gone.
Only the pond answers—
With its indifferent jade.
Composed in 1187 during Emperor Xiaozong's reign, this ci poem was written when Jiang Kui resided in Hefei as a long-term sojourner. Witnessing the city's desolation juxtaposed with spring scenery, he poured his complex emotions into this work, using motifs like "dawn horns," "weeping willows," and "pear blossoms" to express his rootless existence and emotional solitude. The poem is marked by its profound yet understated sentiment, ethereal beauty, and distinctive style.
空城晓角，吹入垂杨陌。
马上单衣寒恻恻。
看尽鹅黄嫩绿，都是江南旧相识。
正岑寂，明朝又寒食。
强携酒、小桥宅。
怕梨花落尽成秋色。
燕燕飞来，问春何在？唯有池塘自碧。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.