The East Wind Blows Over the Water (The Lover's Return)
- Poetry of Li Yu

《阮郎归·呈郑王十二弟》

English Translation

The east wind blows over the water, the sun sits by the hill,

Though spring has come, the idleness persists.

Fallen blossom is scattered amid wine and tinkling pendants by the rail,

She listens to playing and singing in a drunken daze.

The pendants are now silent, her evening wear undone,

For what man's sake is she to dress her hair?

Her fair appearance too will pass as time slips by,

At dusk, she leans alone upon the railing.

By Li Yu

中文原文( Chinese )

东风吹水日衔山，春来长是闲。

落花狼藉酒阑珊，笙歌醉梦间。

春睡觉，晚妆残，凭谁整翠鬟？

留连光景惜朱颜，黄昏独倚阑。

- Last updated: 2025-06-07 08:09:15

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

List of Chinese poets