"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:
This poem, written after Li Bai left Chang’an, narrates a man’s longing for a woman. The poet expresses his feelings through the description of scenes such as autumn insects, autumn frost and lonely lamps.
The pining beauty is far away from Chang’an city, the autumn weaver is chirping next to the golden well appendage, the frost is beginning to fall, the thin frost is bleak and sends gusts of cold air, the bamboo mat also shows the coldness. The lonely light is dim, and the bone-deep longing makes one want to break one’s soul, but the flower-like beauty seems to be separated in the clouds! Above is the boundless blue sky, below is the clear green water ripples. The sky is long and far away, the mountains are blocked, the dream soul to see each other is also difficult, can only roll up the curtains and look up at the bright moon and sigh in the air!
In ancient times, “beauty” was often used as a metaphor for the ideal to be pursued. “The specific location of Chang’an also suggests “beauty”, which is a political allegory, indicating that the purpose of this poem is to express the poet’s depressed mood of pursuing political ideals but failing to do so.
The poet’s intention is implied in the image, hidden but not revealed, full of subtle flavor.
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.
