The Falling Mume Blossoms
- Poetry of Liu Fangping
In the new year, fragrant mume trees stand,
Their blooms abound on every hand.
The spring wind blows them away day by day,
Overnight, how many branches are left bare, pray?
The young wife now feels just the same,
Her endless regret stretches to the Great Wall's frame.
Oh, never compare the snow on Liao Sea's shore,
To the blossoms falling in her own backyard anymore.
This poem was composed during the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Although the Tang Dynasty appeared prosperous on the surface, signs of internal decline had already emerged. The ambitious emperor frequently launched military campaigns, and continuous wars in Liaodong, Hexi, and other regions led to the conscription of a large number of young men, resulting in family separations and leaving wives alone at home with unresolved resentment. Liu Fangping often drew on social realities, using natural imagery to express the melancholy and loneliness in women's lives. This poem is one of his representative works—outwardly describing the blooming and falling of plum blossoms, it conveys a young wife's sorrow and protest against the turmoil of war, reflecting deep social concern.
新岁芳梅树，繁花四面同。
春风吹渐落，一夜几枝空。
少妇今如此，长城恨不穷。
莫将辽海雪，来比后庭中。
- 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.