"I am endlessly yearning
To be in Ch'ang-an.
...Insects hum of autumn by the gold brim of the well;
A thin frost glistens like little mi rrors on my cold mat;
The high lantern flickers; and deeper grows my longing.
I lift the shade and, with many a sigh, gaze upon the moon,
Single as a flower, centred from the clouds.
Above, I see the blueness and deepness of sky.
Below, I see the greenness and the restlessness of water
Heaven is high, earth wide; bitter between them flies my sorrow.
Can I dream through the gateway, over the mountain?
Endless longing
Breaks my heart."
Original Poem
「长相思 · 其一」
李白
长相思，在长安。
络纬秋啼金井阑，微霜凄凄簟色寒。
孤灯不明思欲绝，卷帷望月空长叹。
美人如花隔云端！
上有青冥之长天，下有渌水之波澜。
天长路远魂飞苦，梦魂不到关山难。
长相思，摧心肝！
Interpretation
Composed around 742 AD after Li Bai's departure from Chang'an, this poem expresses the poet's melancholy and yearning following his political frustrations in the capital. While ostensibly about romantic longing, it subtly conveys his attachment to Chang'an and lament over unfulfilled ambitions.
First Stanza: "长相思，在长安。络纬秋啼金井阑，微霜凄凄簟色寒。孤灯不明思欲绝，卷帷望月空长叹。美人如花隔云端！"
cháng xiāng sī, zài cháng ān. luò wěi qiū tí jīn jǐng lán, wēi shuāng qī qī diàn sè hán. gū dēng bù míng sī yù jué, juǎn wéi wàng yuè kōng cháng tàn. měi rén rú huā gé yún duān!
Ever longing, for Chang'an. Autumn crickets chirp by golden rails, Light frost chills the mat's hue pale. A dim lone lamp mirrors my broken heart, Rolling curtains, moonward sighs - we're apart. That flower-like beauty beyond clouds seems so far!
The poet employs autumnal imagery - insect sounds, frost, dim lamplight and moonlight - to create a desolate atmosphere expressing profound longing. "Flower-like beauty beyond clouds" serves as the poem's climax, symbolizing both the distant beloved and the poet's unreachable political ideals.
Second Stanza: "上有青冥之长天，下有渌水之波澜。天长路远魂飞苦，梦魂不到关山难。长相思，摧心肝！"
shàng yǒu qīng míng zhī cháng tiān, xià yǒu lù shuǐ zhī bō lán. tiān cháng lù yuǎn hún fēi kǔ, mèng hún bù dào guān shān nán. cháng xiāng sī, cuī xīn gān!
Above - the azure heavens vast, Below - green water's waves surge fast. This endless road tortures my wandering soul, Even dreams can't pass these barrier knolls. Everlasting longing - racks my heart whole!
The vast sky and turbulent waters symbolize insurmountable obstacles to reunion. "Dreams can't pass" intensifies the poet's despair at being unable to meet even in dreams, culminating in the visceral "racks my heart whole" that brings the emotional crescendo.
Comprehensive Analysis
Set against late autumn scenery, the poem portrays hopeless longing through progressive intensification. The first half establishes loneliness through images like dim lamps and frost; the second half emphasizes impossibility through cosmic distances and dream barriers.
While ostensibly about romantic separation, the poem carries deeper significance. Chang'an represents both the beloved's location and the poet's political aspirations. "Flower-like beauty beyond clouds" metaphorizes unreachable ideals, while "dreams can't pass" reveals frustration at unrealized ambitions. Blending romantic tenderness with career disappointment, the poem achieves remarkable emotional complexity.
Artistic Innovations
- Scenery-Emotion Fusion: Autumn imagery perfectly mirrors the poet's loneliness.
- Progressive Intensity: From physical longing to cosmic separation to dream frustration, emotions deepen systematically.
- Dual Meaning: Surface romantic longing conceals political frustration.
- Musical Rhythm: Flowing cadences and rhymes enhance the poem's oral beauty and emotional power.
Insights
This poem transforms personal heartbreak into universal meditation on the gap between aspiration and reality. Its exquisite imagery of struggle remains relevant today, reminding modern readers to cherish present blessings while pursuing ideals. More than a love poem, it's an enduring testament to the human condition - our eternal tension between dreams and limitations.
Poem translator
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet
Li Bai (李白), 701 - 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
