Whence arises the autumn wind that speed the wild geese on their way south?
This morning it blows into the courtyard, moon, you ought to go away, too, instead of hovering about.
He would not be the first to hear it, if he were not a lonely stranger among strangers.
何处秋风至？萧萧送雁群。
朝来入庭树，孤客最先闻。
This poem was composed during Liu Yuxi's exile in the southern regions, a lyrical piece born of a scene encountered in his life as a wanderer. After the failure of the Yongzhen Reforms in 805 AD, Liu Yuxi was first demoted to Marshal of Langzhou, then transferred successively to Lianzhou, Kuizhou, Hezhou, and other posts, drifting for over twenty years amidst the rivers and mountains of Ba and Chu. Far from his homeland, dwelling in desolate places, his political ambitions dashed, his life's ideals thwarted—such circumstances were enough to sink anyone into profound sorrow.
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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