How can a deep love seem deep love,
How can it smile, at a farewell feast?
Even the candle, feeling our sadness,
Weeps, as we do, all night long.
Original Poem:
「赠别二首 · 其二」
杜牧
多情却似总无情，惟觉樽前笑不成。
蜡烛有心还惜别，替人垂泪到天明。
Interpretation:
This poem follows the first one, which is about the poet's feelings of parting with a wonderful songstress.
In the first two lines, the sentimental person is as cold as an unfeeling person, and she only feels unable to laugh at the parting banquet.
The poet agrees that she can't bear to be separated, but has to be separated, and her emotions are all over the place. Just because the love is very deep and very devoted, so can not find how to express. In the farewell banquet, the two sit in misery, although the heart contains difficult to talk about the feelings of separation, but relative speechless, seems to be very rusty each other.
The second line of the bitterness of parting, showing that the poet wants to say goodbye to his lover to raise a cup of wine, forced to smile, so that she is happy ah! However, after all, it is a parting sorrow, can not pretend to smile. This seemingly contradictory description of the situation, but the poet's heart of the sincere feelings, describing a euphonious, full of flavor.
The last two lines: the candle as if there is a parting thought, on behalf of the parting tears until dawn.
Poet and put aside their own, to write the burning candles at the farewell banquet, borrowing objects to express emotion. Poet with extremely sentimental mood to see the objective world around, so everything in the eyes also with sentimental colors. In the poet's eyes, the candle's tears, which flow all night long, are sad for the parting of the hero and heroine.
The language of the poem is refined and fluent, refreshing and handsome; its sentiment is lingering and sentimental, with deep and gentle thoughts.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Du Mu (杜牧), 803-853 AD, was a native of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Among the poets of the Late Tang Dynasty, he was one of those who had his own characteristics, and later people called Li Shangyin and Du Mu as "Little Li and Du". His poems are bright and colorful.
