Joy of Day and Night
- Poetry of Liu Yong

《昼夜乐》

English Rendering

In nuptial chamber first I saw your face,

I thought we should forever share the place.

The short-lived joy of love,who would believe?

Soon turned into parting grief.

Now late spring has grown old and soon takes leave,

I see a riot of catkins and flowers

Fallen in showers.

I am afraid all the fine scenery

Would go away with thee.


Whom may I tell my solitude?

Thou oft makest light of promise thou hast made.

Had I known the ennui is so hard to elude,

I would then have thee stayed.

What I can't bear to think,thy gallantry apart,

Is something else in thee which captivates my heart.

If one day I don't think of it,

A thousand times my brows would knit.

Joy of Day and Night by Liu Yong
Joy of Day and Night by Liu Yong

Original Text (中文原文)

洞房记得初相遇。

便只合、长相聚。

何期小会幽欢,变作离情别绪。

况值阑珊春色暮,对满目、乱花狂絮。

直恐好风光,尽随伊归去。

一场寂寞凭谁诉。

算前言、总轻负。

早知恁地难拚,悔不当时留住。

其奈风流端正外,更别有,系人心处。

一日不思量,也攒眉千度。

Analysis & Context

Liu Yong (987-1053)was the best-known popular lyric poet of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).He adopted and invented a large number of longer "slow tunes"containing more than 100 characters. 

This lyric depicts the sorrow of a lonely young bride.

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.

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