To the Willow
- Poetry of Luo Yin
《柳二首 · 其一》
English Translation
By riverside you see lovers part on fine day;
They cling together but they cannot make spring stay.
Your catkins waft in the breeze when your branches sway,
Could you retain those who are going far away?
Though ostensibly a willow poem, this work uses catkins and pendulous branches to mirror courtesans' complex psychology in farewell scenes. Luo Yin masterfully blends natural imagery with human affairs, merging women's rootless fate and unanchored emotions with spring scenery to create a unique poetic realm where "parting" and "courtesan" motifs become one. The layered progression of meaning fuses emotion with landscape, embodying humanity through flora, demonstrating profound compassion and allegorical depth.
中文原文( Chinese )
灞岸晴来送别频，相偎相依不胜春。
自家飞絮犹无定，争解垂丝绊路人？
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- 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.