Song Dynasty
Rouged Lips · Peach Blossom Spring
Qin Guan
醉漾轻舟
信流引到花深处
尘缘相误
无计花间住
烟水茫茫
千里斜阳暮
山无数
乱红如雨
不记来时路
Translation
Drunk, I let the light boat drift, and the current carried me deep among the flowers. But worldly ties misled me; there was no way to remain among the blossoms. Mist and water stretched into vastness, and the slanting sun sank over a thousand miles. Mountains rose beyond number; fallen petals scattered like rain, and I no longer remembered the road by which I came.
Analysis
This lyric uses the image of "Peach Blossom Spring" to express the melancholy of briefly entering an ideal world yet being unable to stay. The first half depicts "entering" this world—drunkenly drifting in a light boat, carried by the current into the depths of flowers, recalling Tao Yuanming's famous tale. But "worldly ties" prevent the speaker from staying. The second half depicts "losing" this world—misty waters stretch endlessly, the sun sets over a thousand miles. The final three lines are the most evocative: countless mountains, falling petals like rain, the road back is lost. This is not simply about losing one's way, but a spiritual loss: having once approached beauty, one can never return. The poem is gentle, cool, and full of helpless regret, characteristic of Qin Guan's style.
About the Author
Qin Guan (1049–1100), courtesy name Shaoyou and also Taixu, styled himself Huaihai Jushi. He was a major lyric poet of the Northern Song dynasty and one of the "Four Scholars of the Su School" associated with Su Shi. Qin Guan is known for his graceful and delicate ci poetry, often blending refined natural imagery with deep personal melancholy. His political career was troubled by demotions and exile, and his later works frequently express displacement, disappointment, and the fragility of human life. His famous works include "Queqiao Xian · Fine Clouds Making Patterns" and "Mantingfang · Mountains Blurred by Evening Clouds."