Song Dynasty
浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯
晏殊
一曲新词酒一杯，
去年天气旧亭台。
夕阳西下几时回？
无可奈何花落去，
似曾相识燕归来。
小园香径独徘徊。
Translation
A new song is sung, a cup of wine is raised; the weather is just like last year, and the pavilion is still the same. But the setting sun sinks westward — when will it ever return? Helplessly, the flowers fall away; the swallows return, as if I had known them before. Alone, I wander along the fragrant path of the small garden.
Analysis
This ci poem captures a quiet sorrow at the end of spring. Its emotion is not dramatic, but restrained, elegant, and deeply aware of time. The first stanza places "a new song" beside "the old pavilion." The scene seems unchanged, yet time has already passed. The question, "when will the setting sun return?" is not only about the sun; it is also a question about lost years and moments that cannot be recovered. The second stanza contains one of the most famous couplets in Song ci: flowers fall beyond our power to stop them, while swallows return as though they were old acquaintances. Loss and return, disappearance and recognition, are held together in a single emotional space. The final image — a solitary figure wandering along a scented garden path — gathers all the unspoken melancholy into one quiet gesture. The beauty of this poem lies in its gentleness. It does not lament loudly; instead, it lets the passing of time be felt through familiar scenery, falling flowers, returning swallows, and a person walking alone.
About the Author
Yan Shu was a Northern Song poet and statesman, courtesy name Tongshu, from Linchuan in Fuzhou. Recognized for his talent at a young age, he later rose to the position of chancellor. His ci poetry is known for its elegance, restraint, and refined melancholy. Often writing of banquets, spring scenery, parting, and the passage of time, Yan Shu became one of the key figures of early Northern Song graceful ci. His collected ci are known as Zhu Yu Ci.