鱼玄机诗
Poems of Yu Xuanji
Index
春情寄子安
Spring Feelings Sent to Zi'an
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山路欹斜石磴危 不愁行苦苦相思 冰销远涧怜清韵 雪远寒峰想玉姿 |
Mountain path, so steep. Dangerous stone stairs. Not anxious for this hard climb. Hard is missing you. Distant stream, ice melts in a pitiful, clear rhyme. Snow on cold, far peaks looks somehow just like jade. |
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莫听凡歌春病酒 休招闲客夜贪棋 如松匪石盟长在 比翼连襟会肯迟 |
Don't listen to those common songs of spring sickness and wine. I only borrowed an idle guest and spent the night at go. Like the pines, and not the rocks, I swear I'll linger here. Wing to wing, with heart's desire, I'm willing to be late. |
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虽恨独行冬尽日 终期相见月圆时 别君何物堪持赠 泪落晴光一首诗 |
Although sad to walk alone the whole of a winter's day, At its end, I regard the moon. And its fullness regards me. My having left you, how can you bear to take up this, my gift? Tears are falling in the bright light of this entire poem. |
-- 鱼玄机
废话
If there is a sweeter love story than Yu and Li in China, I haven't heard of it. They loved each other before marriage. And after marriage, she leaves because she must, for the sake of the Dao. But she sends him the world's gentlest Dear John letter and he sends her a sleeping mat in return. And now, later on, from a winter's mountain, she again sends her love.
You will notice that she simply calls Li Yi by his courtesy name, Zi'an. No more Li in front. So this poem is written any time after 863 when she leaves him. No other clues are given.
The mountain and stone steps need be no more than a monastery on Luoyang's Southern Hill or Chang'an's Mount Mang. It could be Goddess Mountain where Washing Silk Temple may sit. But I'd guess one of the first two is more likely. The idle guest could be a guest at those temples or an idle traveler at an inn on some wilder mountain. But not too wild. Mountains don't grow stone steps.