Song of Incense - Farewell
- Poetry of Su Shi

《行香子·携手江村》

English Rendering

We visited the riverside village hand in hand,

Letting snowlike mume flowers on silk dress fall.

How can I stand

The soul-consuming fairy land!

Now separated from you for years long,

Hearing the same old song,

Can I forget the lakeside hall,

The temple on the Lonely Hill

And Golden Gate waves overfill?


Wherever we went on whatever day,

We have written a thousand lines.

The silken sleeves would sweep the dust away.

Since we parted, who

Would often think of you?

The moon which on the lake shines,

The lakeside willow trees,

The cloud and breeze.

Song of Incense - Farewell by Su Shi
Song of Incense - Farewell by Su Shi

Original Text (中文原文)

携手江村,梅雪飘裙。

情何限、处处销魂。

故人不见,旧曲重闻。

向望湖楼,孤山寺,涌金门。


寻常行处,题诗千首,绣罗衫、与拂红尘。

别来相忆,知是何人。

有湖中月,江边柳,陇头云。

Analysis & Context

By Su Shi

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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