When will come back the cavalrymen?
The fair in golden chamber blame the mume then.
In cold snow the mume blossoms fall;
In warm wind should grow the leaf small.
You’re gone with the flute of the new spring;
Its fragrance old greets the cup you’d bring.
What is the use of our flourish hour?
I’ll send you a message from my lonely bower.
铁骑几时回，金闺怨早梅。
雪寒花已落，风暖叶应开。
夕逐新春管，香迎小岁杯。
盛时何足贵，书里报轮台。
This poem was likely composed during or after Shen Quanqi's period of exile, while he had yet to be reinstated to office. In the late years of Wu Zetian's reign, border conflicts were frequent, and turmoil pervaded the court and the nation. Though Shen Quanqi was renowned in the early Tang for his regulated verse, his official career was fraught with difficulties. The line "When will the armored cavalry return?" is not only a lament from a woman longing for her absent husband but also reflects the poet's own solitude and yearning for his homeland during his prolonged exile. The title "Plum Blossoms Fall" appears to describe nature but actually serves as an emotional catalyst. In classical poetry, plum blossoms symbolize purity and separation—blooming early and alone, fading easily, often evoking sorrow. Through "Plum Blossoms Fall," Shen Quanqi expresses both personal grief and reflections on rise and decline, blending concerns for the nation with sighs over his own fate. This poem exemplifies the transition from the ornate palace style of the early Tang to the profound emotional depth of the mid-Tang.
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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