Song Dynasty
蝶恋花·伫倚危楼风细细
伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际。
草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意。
拟把疏狂图一醉。
对酒当歌，强乐还无味。
衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。
Translation
I stand long against the high tower while a fine wind blows. Gazing as far as I can, spring sorrow darkly rises at the edge of the sky. In the fading light, amid smoky grass, I lean silently on the railing—who could understand this feeling? I thought I might give myself over to abandon and seek one drunken night. Yet with wine before me and song on my lips, forced pleasure has no taste. My belt grows looser day by day, but I do not regret it; for her, I am willing to grow thin and worn.
Analysis
This is one of Liu Yong’s most famous love lyrics, and its final couplet has become a classic expression of unwavering devotion. The first stanza shows the speaker standing high on a tower, gazing into the distance. The spring landscape is not bright or joyful; instead, “spring sorrow” rises darkly from the horizon. Grass, misty light, and sunset create a soft scene, but the speaker’s longing turns it into a landscape of loneliness. The second stanza reveals that ordinary escape cannot help. He tries to abandon restraint, drink, and sing, but forced pleasure has no taste. The final lines transform physical decline into emotional commitment: his belt grows looser because he has become thin with longing, yet he does not regret it. The poem’s power lies in this movement from sorrow to resolve. Longing is not simply pain; it becomes a chosen fidelity.
About the Author
Liu Yong, originally named Liu Sanbian and courtesy name Qiqing, was one of the most influential ci poets of the Northern Song. He was deeply connected with the urban entertainment world of singers and musicians, and he understood the musical and emotional life of the city. Liu Yong greatly developed the long-form ci, expanding its capacity for narration, emotional progression, travel sorrow, and love longing. His language can be direct and colloquial, yet also richly layered and melodious. “Butterfly Loves Flowers: Standing by the High Tower” shows his ability to turn longing into a powerful declaration of devotion.