Lyrics to a Melody of Walking on Grass
- Poetry of Yan Shu

《踏莎行·碧海无波》

English Rendering

On the sea aquamarine with no billows there is a path to the celestial terrace,

We should be able to there fly towards as a pair if our hearts so wish.

Once I left behind rashly the object of my affections,

Now being mountains and waters apart I know not where she is.


A dusty, delicately woven mat remains in the bed chamber lightly veiled by mist,

On whom could I rely to bring you a crimson note in small script?

On a tall building I look into the distance and see the day drawing to a close,

As a whistling drizzle rustles the leafage of phoenix trees.

Lyrics to a Melody of Walking on Grass by Yan Shu
Lyrics to a Melody of Walking on Grass by Yan Shu

Original Text (中文原文)

碧海无波,瑶台有路。思量便合双飞去。

当时轻别意中人,山长水远知何处。

绮席凝尘,香闺掩雾。红笺小字凭谁附?

高楼目尽欲黄昏,梧桐叶上萧萧雨。

Analysis & Context

This lyric was composed in 1027 during Yan Shu's political exile. Having opposed the powerful minister Zhang Qi's promotion to head the Bureau of Military Affairs and subsequently offended the emperor with untoward remarks at the Jade Purity Temple, Yan Shu was demoted to govern Xuancheng. Written during this journey of disgrace, the poem transforms personal sorrow into landscape imagery, expressing complex emotions of regret, longing, and resignation.

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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