English Rendering
Twin-oared painted boat with brocade cables bright,
Where lotus blooms blush and leaves darken in light.
The moonlit scene reflects on the pond before the door,
Moved by the lord who midnight crosses Xiao-Xiang's shore.
Song of the Roosting Crows II
- Poetry of Liu Fangping
《栖乌曲二首 · 其二》
Original Text (中文原文)
画舸双艚锦为缆，芙蓉花发莲叶暗。
门前月色映横塘，感郎中夜渡潇湘。
Analysis & Context
"Song of the Perching Crows" is a set of Yuefu-style poems by Liu Fangping, consisting of two pieces that belong to the tradition of Tang Dynasty palace lament and romantic themes. Such poetry often depicts the inner lives, physical beauty, and emotional yearning of women in secluded chambers. The second poem uses imagery of an ornate painted boat, blooming hibiscus, and moonlit scenes to express a woman’s longing for her beloved on a quiet night. Tang literati often adopted the "song lyric" style to portray feminine emotions, and this piece continues the Yuefu tradition with refined imagery and elegant language, conveying its message with subtle depth.
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.
- The Lotus-Gathering Song
- Hymns of Harmony: Song of a Banished Beauty
- Imitation: Lament of a Courtesan
- The Bronze Terrace Courtesan
- Song of the Roosting Crows I
- Song of the Roosting Crows II
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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