Dreaming of My Deceased Wife at Her Loom
- Poetry of Li Shangyin
《悼伤后赴东蜀辟至散关遇雪》
English Translation
I join the army far away.
Who'd send me warm clothes for cold day?
The mountain pass is clad in snow;
My dream of her loom brings me woe.
This poem was written by Li Shangyin during his journey to Dongchuan to join the military. The background of the poem is his sorrow after the sudden death of his wife in 851 (the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty). At this time, Li Shangyin was recruited by Liu Zhongying to join the military, and he faced severe winter snowstorms during his journey. While still mourning his wife’s death, he was leaving his homeland. Through this poem, the poet vividly portrays the inner pain and the hardships of the journey.
中文原文( Chinese )
剑外从军远，无家与寄衣。
散关三尺雪，回梦旧鸳机。
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- 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.