The Wind Returns; My Little Courtyard is Green and Overgrown (The Beautiful Lady Yu)
- Poetry of Li Yu

《虞美人·风回小院庭芜绿》

English Translation

The wind returns; my little courtyard is green and overgrown,

The willows seem to have grown again this spring.

I lean for a long time on the railings; alone, without a word,

The sound of bamboo and the new moon are just like in days gone by.

The playing and singing have not yet ceased; the wine cups remain,

The ice on top of the pool begins to melt.

Bright candles and a faint fragrance are deep in the painted hall,

It's hard to think I must allow my temples all to turn white.

By Li Yu

中文原文( Chinese )

风回小院庭芜绿，柳眼春相续。

凭阑半日独无言，依旧竹声新月似当年。

笙歌未散尊罍在，池面冰初解。

烛明香暗画堂深，满鬓青霜残雪思难任。

- Last updated: 2025-06-07 08:11:13

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