Song Dynasty
蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露
晏殊
槛菊愁烟兰泣露。
罗幕轻寒，燕子双飞去。
明月不谙离恨苦。
斜光到晓穿朱户。
昨夜西风凋碧树。
独上高楼，望尽天涯路。
欲寄彩笺兼尺素。
山长水阔知何处。
Translation
Chrysanthemums by the railing seem veiled in sorrow; orchids, heavy with dew, seem to weep. A slight chill slips through the gauze curtain, and the swallows fly away in pairs. The bright moon knows nothing of the bitterness of parting; Its slanting light pierces the red doors until dawn. Last night, the west wind stripped the green trees bare. Alone I climb the high tower and gaze to the very end of the road beyond the horizon. I wish to send a colored letter, a plain silk note, But with mountains so long and waters so wide, where could it ever find you?
Analysis
This lyric expresses the sorrow of parting not through direct lament but by embedding emotion into scene: sorrowful mist, dew-like tears, a chill veil, paired swallows, indifferent moonlight, red doors, the west wind, and stripped trees—each detail externalizes inner grief. The first stanza centers on 'solitude within the chamber.' Chrysanthemums and orchids, normally pure and elegant, here carry grief and tears. Swallows flying in pairs sharpen the contrast with the speaker's loneliness. The masterstroke is 'the bright moon knows nothing of the bitterness of parting'—the moonlight, utterly indifferent, shines through the night, leaving the grief nowhere to hide. The second stanza opens the space, moving from chamber to high tower. 'Last night the west wind stripped the green trees bare' writes a single night's transformation of the natural world, mirroring a sudden desolation in the heart. 'Alone I climb the high tower and gaze to the very end of the road' pushes longing to its utmost horizon. The attempt to send a letter, blocked by 'mountains long and waters wide,' makes the distance feel infinite precisely because the feeling is real. The poem is lucid yet weighty, sorrowful yet restrained—the quintessence of Yan Shu's signature style: 'noble leisure touched with clear sorrow.'
About the Author
Yan Shu, courtesy name Tongshu, was a Northern Song poet and statesman from Linchuan, Fuzhou. He gained renown in his youth, had a distinguished official career, and served as Chancellor, making him one of the most important civil ministers of the early Northern Song. Yan Shu's lyrics frequently celebrate garden feasts, seasonal scenes, and the sorrow of parting. His language is warm, refined, and restrained—never strident, always elegant. He excelled at expressing life's transience and the ache of separation through calm, beautiful phrasing. His masterpieces include "Silk-Washing Stream · A New Song, a Cup of Wine" and "Butterflies in Love with Flowers · Rail-Chrysanthemums Veiled in Sorrow." His profound influence on the development of ci poetry extended to his son, Yan Jidao, also a celebrated lyricist.