Your grasses up north are as blue as jade,
Our mulberries here curve green-threaded branches;
And at last you think of returning home,
Now when my heart is almost broken...
0 breeze of the spring, since I dare not know you,
Why part the silk curtains by my bed?
Original Poem
「春思」
李白
燕草如碧丝，秦桑低绿枝。
当君怀归日，是妾断肠时。
春风不相识，何事入罗帏？
Interpretation
This poem was composed during the Tang Dynasty, though its exact year is unknown. It aligns with Li Bai's other works on the theme of longing, expressing the pain of separation and yearning. The poem depicts a young woman from Qin longing for her husband, who is stationed far away in Yan. Using natural scenery as a thread, it contrasts the spring landscapes of the two regions and employs the imagery of the "spring breeze" to convey the sorrow of separation. The poem not only celebrates love but also reflects the reality of forced separation between soldiers and their loved ones due to war.
First Couplet: “燕草如碧丝，秦桑低绿枝。”
Yàn cǎo rú bì sī, qín sāng dī lǜ zhī.
The grass in Yan is like green silk; the mulberry trees in Qin hang low with lush branches.
The poet begins by contrasting the spring scenery of Yan and Qin, highlighting the geographical distance and the passage of time. While the grass in Yan is just beginning to sprout, the mulberry trees in Qin are already flourishing. This contrast not only suggests that the husband remains far away but also sets the emotional tone for the wife's longing—she waits, while time slips away.
Second Couplet: “当君怀归日，是妾断肠时。”
Dāng jūn huái guī rì, shì qiè duàn cháng shí.
When you long to return home, it is the moment my heart breaks with longing for you.
This couplet shifts to the husband's perspective, imagining him yearning for home from the distant frontier, resonating with the wife's feelings. However, the wife's emotions are more profound; she not only misses her husband but also endures the pain of prolonged waiting. The phrase "heart breaks" intensifies the anguish of separation, allowing readers to deeply feel the torment of longing.
Third Couplet: “春风不相识，何事入罗帏？”
Chūn fēng bù xiāng shí, hé shì rù luó wéi?
Spring breeze, you are a stranger to me; why do you enter my bedchamber and stir my sorrow?
The poet cleverly uses the "spring breeze" to express the wife's loneliness and grief. Though the breeze is a natural phenomenon, it is imbued with emotional significance in the poem, becoming a trigger for the wife's feelings. She blames the breeze for entering her chamber and stirring her endless longing. This seemingly irrational complaint actually reveals her unwavering loyalty to love, adding depth and poignancy to the poem.
Overall Appreciation
The poem uses the contrast between the spring landscapes of two regions to depict the wife's deep longing for her distant husband. The opening lines, contrasting "Yan grass" and "Qin mulberry trees," symbolize the passage of time and the vast distance between them, setting a melancholic tone. The poet then delves into the wife's inner monologue, expressing her anxious yearning for her husband's return. The line "When you long to return home, it is the moment my heart breaks with longing for you" is particularly moving. The poem concludes with the personification of the spring breeze, which stirs the wife's sorrow, building the emotional intensity to its peak. Despite its brevity, the poem is rich in imagery and emotion, leaving readers deeply moved.
Writing Characteristics
- Using Scenery to Convey Emotion: The poem begins with "Yan grass" and "Qin mulberry trees," using contrast to highlight the passage of time and distance, while reflecting the wife's emotional state through the scenery.
- Balanced Couplets, Blending Scene and Emotion: The poem's lines are symmetrical and rhythmic, such as "The grass in Yan is like green silk; the mulberry trees in Qin hang low with lush branches," creating visual beauty and enhancing the poem's vividness.
- Personification, Enhancing Emotional Depth: The final couplet personifies the spring breeze, making it a trigger for the wife's sorrow and subtly revealing her loyalty and loneliness, adding emotional resonance.
- Concise yet Intense: With only six lines, the poem progresses from setting the scene to exploring the wife's emotions, culminating in an emotional climax, making it layered and thought-provoking.
Insights
This poem not only portrays the deep affection of an ancient wife for her distant husband but also invites reflection on the relationship between love and distance. In real life, separation often brings longing and waiting, yet true love can withstand the test of time and space. The wife in the poem, though lonely, remains steadfast in her love for her husband, demonstrating loyalty and devotion. This profound emotion transcends time and space, resonating with readers even today, reminding us of the beauty of love and the bittersweetness of waiting.
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.
