How deeply shrouded her courtyard had been
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《临江仙·庭院深深深几许》
How deeply shrouded her courtyard had been by Li Qingzhao
中文原文( Chinese )

庭院深深深几许？

云窗雾阁常扃。

柳梢梅萼渐分明。

春归秣陵树，人老建康城。


感月吟风多少事，如今老去无成。

谁怜憔悴更凋零。

试灯无意思，踏雪没心情。

English Translation

How deeply shrouded her courtyard had been,

the windows clouded with mist, chambers shut.

But see! The tips of willows, plum buds,

and a full Spring returned to the Moling trees,

as if for an aging stranger locked in J.K. City.


Who sings so softly of the moon and the wind,

of getting old too, and cut-off from honors, …

and no one pitying her, pallid and withering,

too glum for the festival lanterns of Spring,

unable to go out in the fresh snow fallen.

- to the Tune of Linjiangxian

According to Another Collection of Li Qingzhao,  this ci was composed in 1129, after she had joined her husband in Jiankang, now the city of Nanjing. Before the Lantern Festival（元宵节）, the last day of Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), people tried on lanterns to be used the next night. Our poet cannot bring herself to participate; she can't give up thinking about her own and her country's sad retreats before the invading enemy. The sorrow in this, her second Spring in Jiankang, is for her country, not merely on celebrating when the nation is in such dire peril.

- Last updated: 2024-12-05 21:17:08
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Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

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