Neath yellow clouds the crows fly home by city wall,
They caw amid the leaves in tree tops at nightfall.
The wife of Western Plain weaves brocade at her loom,
Behind the misty screen she murmurs-but to whom?
She stops her shuttle,thinking of him far away,
And weeps,so lonely in her bower night and day.
黄云城边乌欲栖，归飞哑哑枝上啼。
机中织锦秦川女，碧纱如烟隔窗语。
停梭怅然忆远人，独宿孤房泪如雨。
This poem represents Li Bai's masterful reinterpretation of the ancient Yuefu ballad "Crows Returning at Dusk." While preserving the original theme of separation and longing, Li Bai elevates it with his genius touch. By capturing the emotional eruption of a Qin River weaver girl triggered by specific moments (dusk) and imagery (crow calls), the poem not only expresses a woman's longing but also reflects the widespread suffering inflicted on ordinary families by frontier conflicts during the High Tang period, bearing profound temporal significance.
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.
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