I'm getting old
- Poetry of Nalan Xingde

《蝶恋花》

English Rendering

I'm getting old,

fear that people say i'm affectionate,

so i stop writing the love poems.

Snuggle up to the tulips,tears shed,

where will those faded fragrance go?


Back to past road,

the fragrance remains in my sleeve,

my heart is more bitter than the coptis.

Please don't say we'll live in the flowers eternally,

when you left me,those flowers will fade in the wind.

I'm getting old by Nalan Xingde
I'm getting old by Nalan Xingde

Original Text (中文原文)

萧瑟兰成看老去。

为怕多情,不作怜花句。

阁泪倚花愁不语,暗香飘尽知何处。

重到旧时明月路。

袖口香寒,心比秋莲苦。

休说生生花里住,惜花人去花无主。

Analysis & Context

By Nalan Xingde

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.

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