English Rendering
At spill-over moment of pond and rain,
Scarlet shadows flurry—petals slain.
Spring's departure weighs my infinite sigh,
Exile's arithmetic: no way to multiply.
South of Town II
- Poetry of Zeng Gong
《城南二首 · 其二》
Original Text (中文原文)
水满横塘雨过时，一番红影杂花飞。
送春无限情惆怅，身在天涯未得归。
Analysis & Context
Composed in 1077 during Zeng Gong's service as prefect of Fuzhou, this companion piece to the first "South City" poem presents a dynamic counterpart to its predecessor's meditative stillness. Written in late spring, it captures the transient beauty of petals floating on rain-swollen ponds while voicing the poet's melancholic wanderlust. Where the first poem contemplated nature's enduring truths, this sequel articulates the human predicament of displacement—a hallmark of Zeng's ability to weave personal longing into philosophical landscapes.
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.
- South of Town I
- South of Town II
- Multi-Vista Tower at Sweet Dew Temple
- River Thoughts for Wang Anshi
- Bamboos by South Veranda
- The Condensed Incense Studio
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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