When first leaves fall on Lake Dongting,
I long for you, thousands of miles away.
In heavy dew my scented quilt feels cold,
At moonset, brocade screen deserted.
I would play a Southland melody
And crave to seal a letter to Jibei.
The letter has no other message but
This misery in living long apart.
叶下洞庭初，思君万里余。
露浓香被冷，月落锦屏虚。
欲奏江南曲，贪封蓟北书。
书中无别意，惟怅久离居。
Jibei, in the far northeastern corner of China, represents a region of frontier warfare, thus suggesting a woman writing to her husband away in the army.
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.
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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