Song Dynasty
鹊桥仙·纤云弄巧
秦观
纤云弄巧，飞星传恨，银汉迢迢暗度。
金风玉露一相逢，便胜却人间无数。
柔情似水，佳期如梦，忍顾鹊桥归路。
两情若是久长时，又岂在朝朝暮暮。
Translation
Delicate clouds weave patterns of grace; shooting stars seem to carry the sorrow of parting, as the lovers quietly cross the distant River of Stars. When the autumn wind meets the jade-like dew, a single true encounter surpasses countless meetings in the mortal world. Their tenderness flows like water; their long-awaited night together is beautiful as a dream. How could they bear to look back toward the Magpie Bridge, the path of parting? If love between two hearts is lasting, why must it depend on being together morning and night?
Analysis
This ci poem draws on the Qixi legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, who are allowed to meet only once a year across the Magpie Bridge. Yet Qin Guan does not simply retell a romantic myth. He transforms a story of separation into a meditation on the depth and endurance of love. The first stanza creates a celestial atmosphere through delicate clouds, shooting stars, and the distant Milky Way. The line "a single meeting in the autumn wind and jade-like dew surpasses countless meetings in the human world" elevates the poem beyond ordinary longing. It suggests that the value of love lies not in frequency, but in the purity and intensity of true encounter. The second stanza turns toward parting. "Tenderness like water" and "a meeting like a dream" express both softness and fragility. The image of looking back toward the Magpie Bridge condenses the pain of separation into one restrained gesture. The closing couplet is the poem's lasting insight: if love is truly enduring, it need not be measured only by daily presence. The poem's greatness lies in this balance between longing and transcendence, grief and clarity.
About the Author
Qin Guan, courtesy name Shaoyou and also Taixu, literary name Huaihai Jushi, was a major ci poet of the Northern Song dynasty from Gaoyou in present-day Jiangsu. He was one of the "Four Scholars of the Su School" and was highly regarded by Su Shi. Qin Guan is known for his refined and graceful lyrical style, especially his delicate treatment of longing, separation, and the sorrow of life's impermanence. "Que Qiao Xian · Delicate Clouds Weave Patterns" is one of his most celebrated works.