At dawn the last orioles join my lonely cry,
I raise the screen—see but grass stretching far and nigh.
The east wind sweeps at times through the courtyard bare,
A thousand willow branches bend their heads west with care.
Original Poem
「代春怨」
刘方平
朝日残莺伴妾啼，开帘只见草萋萋。
庭前时有东风入，杨柳千条尽向西。
Interpretation
This poem was written during the mid-Tang Dynasty. Liu Fangping lived largely in reclusion and faced a troubled official career; his poetry often drew from nature and the inner lives of women. This work employs a "persona" technique—the poet speaks in a woman’s voice, using her perspective and emotions to convey longing. During the Tang, frontier wars were frequent, with husbands stationed far west for long periods, leaving wives alone at home. Thus, poems of "boudoir longing" became common. Though brief, this poem uses morning sights and sounds to express a woman’s deep yearning for her absent husband.
First Couplet: "朝日残莺伴妾啼，开帘只见草萋萋。"
Zhāo rì cán yīng bàn qiè tí, kāi lián zhǐ jiàn cǎo qīqī.
The morning sun rises, a lone oriole cries as if weeping with me;
I raise the blind—only to see lush grass spreading everywhere.
The opening lines establish the scene: a morning in late spring. "Lone oriole" (残莺 cán yīng) suggests the season’s end; its mournful cry mirrors the woman’s solitude. "Lush grass" (草萋萋 cǎo qīqī) depicts vibrant growth, yet it evokes not joy but separation’s sorrow, embedding emotion within the scenery with subtle depth.
Second Couplet: "庭前时有东风入，杨柳千条尽向西。"
Tíng qián shí yǒu dōngfēng rù, yángliǔ qiān tiáo jìn xiàng xī.
Sometimes the east wind sweeps into the courtyard,
And thousands of willow branches sway westward, all together.
The second couplet introduces movement. "East wind entering" (东风入 dōngfēng rù) is natural, but "all swaying westward" (尽向西 jìn xiàng xī) carries deep meaning. Tang garrisons were often in the western frontiers, and the wife gazes west daily; the willows leaning west embody her emotions. Scene and feeling resonate, imparting endless longing into nature and forming a tender, melancholic close.
Holistic Appreciation
The poem describes scenery yet conveys emotion throughout. The first couplet—with the oriole’s accompanying cry and lush grass—uses stillness to reflect loneliness; the second—east wind blowing, willows bending west—uses motion to express gazing westward. Seemingly ordinary morning sights take on symbolic meaning through the woman’s heartache. The poem never directly states "grievance" or "sorrow," yet these feelings permeate every line—deep yet restrained.
More than portraying a woman’s longing, the poem reflects the painful separations brought by Tang frontier wars. Using a persona, the poet makes the woman’s voice authentic and natural—subtle yet sincere, intimate yet profound—creating a moving and delicate artistic style.
Artistic Merits
- Persona narrative: The poet adopts a female voice, making the emotional expression more genuine and relatable.
- Scene embodying feeling: Without mentioning "grievance," images like the lone oriole, lush grass, and willows convey deep sorrow of separation.
- Interplay of dynamic and static: The first couplet depicts stillness (morning sun, oriole, grass); the second portrays motion (east wind, willows)—enriching the imagery.
- Subtle and lasting resonance: Instead of direct outpouring, emotions are conveyed through natural symbols, leaving ample room for imagination.
- Harmonious rhythm: The lines flow smoothly with natural rhyme, sounding melodious and enhancing the beauty of the plaintive mood.
Insights
The power of literature lies in subtlety and symbolism: without directly describing sadness, a lone oriole’s cry, a patch of lush grass, or a gust of east wind can make readers feel profound emotion. It reminds us that true feelings often reside in everyday scenes, waiting to be felt with heart. Moreover, this poem reflects social reality—the anguish of separation caused by war—calling for cherishing peace and reunion. Reading it today, we can still sense that timeless longing and shared humanity.
About the Poet
Liu Fangping (刘方平 c. 742 – c. 785), a native of Luoyang in Henan. A recluse-poet and painter spanning the High to Mid-Tang period, he distinguished himself with a delicate and subtle poetic style skilled in depicting boudoir lament and moonlit nights. Though only 26 of his poems survive in the Complete Tang Poems, works like Moonlit Night and Spring Lament secured his place in the canonical hall of Tang poetry. Hailed as "the pure voice of the High Tang and the herald of the Mid-Tang," his poetry fused the lucidity of the Qi-Liang style with Zen serenity, profoundly influencing the later ci lyric tradition and Heian-era Japanese women's literature.
