Pale Yellow Willows: Morning Horn in an Empty City
- Poetry of Jiang Kui

《淡黄柳 · 空城晓角》

English Rendering

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.

Pale Yellow Willows: Morning Horn in an Empty City by Jiang Kui
Pale Yellow Willows: Morning Horn in an Empty City by Jiang Kui

Original Text (中文原文)

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。

Analysis & Context

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.

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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