Twin-oared painted boat with brocade cables bright,
Where lotus blooms blush and leaves darken in light.
The moonlit scene reflects on the pond before the door,
Moved by the lord who midnight crosses Xiao-Xiang's shore.
Original Poem
「栖乌曲二首 · 其二」
刘方平
画舸双艚锦为缆，芙蓉花发莲叶暗。
门前月色映横塘，感郎中夜渡潇湘。
Interpretation
"Song of the Perching Crows" is a set of Yuefu-style poems by Liu Fangping, consisting of two pieces that belong to the tradition of Tang Dynasty palace lament and romantic themes. Such poetry often depicts the inner lives, physical beauty, and emotional yearning of women in secluded chambers. The second poem uses imagery of an ornate painted boat, blooming hibiscus, and moonlit scenes to express a woman’s longing for her beloved on a quiet night. Tang literati often adopted the "song lyric" style to portray feminine emotions, and this piece continues the Yuefu tradition with refined imagery and elegant language, conveying its message with subtle depth.
First Couplet: "画舸双艚锦为缆，芙蓉花发莲叶暗。"
Huà gě shuāng cáo jǐn wéi lǎn, fúróng huā fā lián yè àn.
Twin painted boats moor, tied with brocade cables;
Hibiscus flowers bloom, lotus leaves grow thick and dim the light.
This couplet depicts a scene of opulence and natural beauty. "Painted boats" and "brocade cables" evoke luxury, setting a lavish backdrop, while "hibiscus in bloom" and "thick lotus leaves" convey a lush, almost overwhelming natural scenery—hinting at hidden emotions beneath the surface.
Second Couplet: "门前月色映横塘，感郎中夜渡潇湘。"
Mén qián yuèsè yìng héng táng, gǎn láng zhōng yè dù Xiāo Xiāng.
Moonlight shines on the pond before her door;
Moved, she imagines her beloved crossing the XiaoXiang River at midnight.
Here the poem shifts from scene to emotion. Moonlight over the pond creates a cool, lonely atmosphere, and the word "moved" (感 gǎn) reveals the woman’s emotional response—projecting her thoughts toward her distant lover, crossing rivers in the night. This reflects the classic technique of "expressing emotion through scene" typical of the romantic lament genre.
Holistic Appreciation
The poem is surface-rich with imagery, yet emotion permeates every layer. It opens with luxurious boats and vibrant flowers, creating a scene of apparent beauty and prosperity, but beneath this elegance lies a subtle sense of melancholy. The conclusion under the moonlit pond clarifies the inner solitude and longing of the woman, blending the tangible and intangible as emotion gradually deepens from outward to inward.
The poet uses contrast: the extravagance of brocade-tied boats versus the cool solitude of the moonlit night; the brilliance of blooming flowers versus the woman’s inner loneliness—creating poetic tension. On the surface, the poem depicts beauty and luxury, yet beneath lies a current of profound tenderness. It is not merely a portrayal of a woman’s emotions but also a reflection on the coexistence of worldly splendor and personal solitude.
Artistic Merits
- Scene-based emotional expression, emotion within objects: From painted boats and hibiscus to the moonlit pond, each scene feels vivid yet symbolic, metaphorically conveying the woman’s inner world.
- Contrast between luxury and solitude: The first couplet portrays splendor; the second, cool loneliness. Superficially depicting environment, it actually mirrors the stark contrast in the woman’s heart, intensifying the emotional impact.
- Subtle emotion, rich implication: The poem never directly states the woman’s loneliness or longing, only hinting through "moved, she imagines her beloved…" leaving room for readers’ imagination and empathy.
- Yuefu structure, graceful and moving: Following the "Song of Harmony" tradition of Yuefu, the language is elegant and the rhythm flowing, displaying the exquisite beauty characteristic of Tang palace-style poetry.
Insights
This poem reminds us that luxurious surroundings cannot conceal inner solitude—flourishing scenes often accentuate lonely hearts. Through a woman’s romantic longing, the poet urges us to pay attention to genuine emotional experience rather than indulging in wealth and glamour. Readers may also appreciate how the technique of "expressing emotion through scene" conveys boundless feeling within a limited poetic space.
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.
