English Rendering
On bamboo mat I long for you without a break,
Coming from afar, you don't keep the date you make.
From now on, I won't care for any lovely night;
In vain on the west tower may the moon shine bright.
A Date
- Poetry of Li Yi
《写情》
Original Text (中文原文)
水纹珍簟思悠悠，千里佳期一夕休。
从此无心爱良夜，任他明月下西楼。
Analysis & Context
This poem depicts the pain of heartbreak through a seven-character quatrain. The poet expresses emotions stemming from disappointment, helplessness, and even despair. The poem employs the backdrop of beautiful scenery, virtual techniques, and subtle psychological portrayal, creating layers of meaning and profound imagery in expressing sorrow.
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.
- A Date
- Song of River Bian
- Looking into Mirror One Day Before Beginning of Autumn
- On Hearing a Flute at Night From the Wall of Shouxiang
- A Song of the Southern River
- A Brief But Happy Meeting With My Brother-in Law "Meeting By Accident, Only To Part"
- 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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