The Crows Crying at Night
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
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.
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.
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。
- 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.