No water's wide enough when you have crossed the sea;
No cloud is beautiful but that which crowns the peak.
I pass by flowers which fail to attract poor me
Hail for your sake and half for Taoism I seek.
Original Poem:
「离思五首 · 其四」
元稹
曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。
取次花丛懒回顾，半缘修道半缘君。
Interpretation:
This poem was written by the Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen to mourn his wife, Wei Cong, who passed away at the young age of 27. Yuan Zhen wrote several mourning poems after her death, and this one is particularly famous. In the poem, Yuan Zhen expresses his deep affection and endless yearning for his wife through reflections on the past and emotional expressions. The entire poem reveals that even as he seeks a life of asceticism, he cannot free himself from the sorrow and longing for his late wife.
First couplet: “曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。”
(Having experienced the vast ocean, no other waters can stir my heart; having tasted the clouds and mists of Mount Wu, no other clouds can captivate me.)
These two lines use the allusions to the "vast ocean" and "Mount Wu" to vividly express the poet’s deep love for his wife. No other thing, no matter how beautiful, can compare to the love he once had. The vast ocean and the clouds of Mount Wu symbolize the deep affection between husband and wife, and the poet uses them to express his wife's irreplaceable place in his heart.
Second couplet: “取次花丛懒回顾，半缘修道半缘君。”
(Even amidst a thousand flowers, I am too lazy to turn my gaze; partly because I am devoted to my pursuit of asceticism, partly because my heart entirely belongs to you.)
Here, the "flower clusters" symbolize beautiful women in the world. Despite being surrounded by beauty, the poet shows no interest in any other woman, reflecting his deep attachment and infatuation with his late wife. The mention of "asceticism" can be understood as his search for inner peace or an attempt to calm his inner sorrow through self-discipline.
Writing Features:
- Clever Use of Allusions and Metaphors
In the first couplet, the poet uses the allusions of the "vast ocean" and "Mount Wu" to represent deep and beautiful love. The vast ocean symbolizes great love, and the clouds of Mount Wu symbolize the wonderful times in love. These allusions enrich the poem and add depth to the emotional expression. - Intensity and Fidelity of Emotion
In the second couplet, the poet mentions being "lazy to look back," which not only reflects his loyalty to his late wife but also reveals his inner loss and loneliness. Despite being surrounded by other beautiful things in the world, the poet’s heart remains solely focused on his wife. - Refined Structure and Rhythm
The poem has a concise structure, using four lines in a quatrain to express profound mourning and endless emotion. The poet creates a unique sense of rhythm through the ebb and flow of language, making the poem neither too lengthy nor lacking in emotional variation.
Overall Analysis:
This poem skillfully uses vivid metaphors and allusions to express the poet’s mourning for his wife. By using "vast ocean" and "Mount Wu clouds" to symbolize their past love, the poet conveys that after experiencing the most beautiful love, no other thing in the world can move him. The second couplet, with its metaphors of "flower clusters" and "asceticism," illustrates the poet’s unwavering devotion to his late wife. Despite external temptations, he cannot escape his yearning for her.
The poem’s language is exceptionally concise, with subtle yet profound emotional expression, embodying the unique charm of Yuan Zhen's mourning poetry. While the poem does not directly express sorrow, its delicate metaphors and unique structure make the poet’s deep affection and pain palpable.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Yuan Zhen (元稹), 779-831 A.D., was a native of Luoyang, Henan Province, who was poor in his early years, but later became an official and finally died of a violent illness. He was friendly with Bai Juyi and often sang with him, and was known as “Yuan Bai”.
