Lonesome Night

This was created in my mind while jogging. The 2nd line was the first to form but in the end works best in the current location.

1 遠見烏雲近何憂 Why worry at the looming dark clouds nearing from afar?
2 惟有月色無限愁 Except that the moonlit sky is in boundless sorrow,
3 春雨盡夜熬煞人 Repressive it is for an entire spring night in rain,
4 葉下添上鴛鴦繡 Let an added embroidered pair of Mandarin ducks be under the leaves.

2 “sky” is not directly mentioned in the text. The line literally translates as “moon color” to mean a moonlit scene and since the moon is in the sky…

3 熬 means to endure and one of the meanings of 煞 is a variant form of 殺. Figuratively the atmosphere is so oppressive that it is like a killer.

4 Mandarin ducks symbolize fidelity and true love as they are thought to mate for life. What is not explicitly expressed is that since it was difficult to sleep, might as well spend the time embroidering. A pair of Mandarin ducks under the lotus leaves is a common theme in Chinese motifs.

Sunday, April 30, 2023