Song Dynasty
卜算子·春情
秦观
春透水波明，寒峭花枝瘦。
极目烟中百尺楼，人在楼中否。
四和袅金凫，双陆思纤手。
拟倩东风浣此情，情更浓于酒。
Translation
Spring has entered the clear brightness of the water, yet the chill remains, leaving the flowering branches thin and spare. Looking as far as the eye can reach, I see a tall tower veiled in mist. Is she there, within that tower? Fragrance curls softly from the golden incense burner. Seeing the backgammon board, I think of her slender hands. I wish I could ask the east wind to wash this longing away, but the feeling only grows richer than wine.
Analysis
This lyric presents longing through delicate images rather than direct confession. The opening scene combines clarity and coldness: bright water suggests spring's arrival, while the thin flowering branches preserve a sense of lingering chill. The distant tower hidden in mist becomes both a physical place and an emotional barrier. In the second stanza, memory is awakened by intimate objects: incense, a game board, and the imagined hands of the beloved. The final line gives the poem its emotional force. The speaker wishes to wash away desire, yet desire only deepens. This restrained, graceful intensity is characteristic of Qin Guan's finest ci poetry.
About the Author
Qin Guan, courtesy name Shaoyou and also Taixu, was a major lyric poet of the Northern Song dynasty and one of the "Four Scholars of Su Shi's Gate." His ci poetry is known for its refinement, tenderness, and emotional subtlety, often exploring separation, longing, travel, and the melancholy of spring. He is regarded as one of the central figures of the graceful and restrained wan-yue tradition.