O, grass and trees that fringe the pond’s long line!
O, homes that cling to isles where oranges shine!
I seek the wine to warm the chilly air,
Too spent to write—my brush lies idle there.
Year after year, harsh dreams my sleep invade,
While care and grief each step of life degrade.
Wayworn, I pause at earth’s remotest rim,
Yet dawn will find me bound for Suzhou’s hymn.
草树连塘岸，人家半橘洲。
暖寒寻酒去，觉懒罢诗休。
逆境年年梦，劳生处处愁。
天涯倦行客，明日又苏州。
Liu Guo lived during the Southern Song Dynasty**, a period marked by political turbulence and complex social conditions, with his own official career fraught with setbacks. This poem depicts the tranquil scenery of Jiangnan's water towns while reflecting the poet's wandering, toilsome life and inner contemplations. Wujiang County (modern Suzhou region), renowned for its picturesque waterscapes, served as the poet's temporary refuge where he immersed himself in nature. Through ordinary landscapes, the work expresses profound emotions, revealing the poet's dual mentality—both his love for nature and his anxieties about worldly affairs.
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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