[updated October 2022]
Long Time Apart
久 别 离
别 来 几 春 未 还 家？
玉 窗 五 见 樱 桃 花。
况 有 锦 字 书
开 缄 使 人 嗟。
此 肠 断 彼 心 绝
云 鬟 绿 鬢 罢 揽 结
愁 如 回 飙 乱 白 雪。
去 年 寄 书 报 阳 台
今 年 寄 书 重 相 催。
胡 为 乎 东 风
为 我 吹 行 云 使 西 来。
待 来 意 不 来
落 花 寂 寂 委 青 苔。
Jiu Bie Li
Bie lai ji chun wei huan jia?
Yu chuang wu jian ying tao hua.
Kuang you jin zi shu
Kai jian shi ren jie.
Ci chang duan bi xin jue
Yun huan lu bin ba lan jie
Chou ru hui biao luan bai xue.
Qu nian ji shu bao yang tai
Jin nian ji shu zhong xiang cui.
Hu wei hu dong feng
Wei wo chui xing yun shi xi lai.
Dai lai yi bu lai.
Luo hua ji ji wei qing tai.
Long Time Apart
How many springs have I not returned home?
Five seasons of peach and cherry blossoms outside my window.
I have your embroidered word book
Opened and closed, causes me to sigh.
We are both heart broken
Hair tied and held in a bun, greenery and clouds.
White powdered face disordered from returning sadness
Last year your letters talk of Mt. Yangtai.
This year, notes expressing a heavy dependence on us reuniting
Come east, blow the clouds and us together.
Await, in the end you do not arrive
Falling flowers very calmly fall onto the green moss.
Notes:
Mt. Yangtai: Located near the city of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
Green moss: Common symbol and metaphor for a place of serenity and seclusion.