Song Dynasty
苏幕遮·碧云天
范仲淹
碧云天，黄叶地。秋色连波，波上寒烟翠。山映斜阳天接水，芳草无情，更在斜阳外。
黯乡魂，追旅思。夜夜除非，好梦留人睡。明月楼高休独倚，酒入愁肠，化作相思泪。
Translation
Beneath a blue-clouded sky, yellow leaves cover the earth. Autumn colors stretch into the waves, and above the water, cold mist carries a greenish chill. The mountains reflect the slanting sun; sky and water seem to meet. The fragrant grass has no feeling, yet it reaches beyond the sunset, stirring the traveler's sorrow all the more. My homesick soul grows dim; thoughts of travel pursue me. Night after night, only a good dream can hold me long enough to sleep. Do not lean alone on a high tower under the bright moon. Wine poured into a sorrowful heart turns at last into tears of longing.
Analysis
This lyric moves from autumn landscape to homesickness with exceptional naturalness. The opening, "blue-clouded sky, yellow-leafed earth," creates a vast autumn scene through pure color contrast. "Autumn colors stretch into the waves; above the waves, cold mist is green" extends the visual field outward, making the landscape spacious, cold, and emotionally resonant. The second stanza turns inward. "My homesick soul grows dim; thoughts of travel pursue me" gives the traveler's sorrow a persistent, almost physical pressure. The famous closing line, "Wine poured into a sorrowful heart turns into tears of longing," captures the failure of wine to dissolve grief. The poem's strength lies in its breadth: private longing is placed within an immense autumn world, giving the emotion dignity, distance, and depth.
About the Author
Fan Zhongyan was a statesman and writer of the Northern Song dynasty, courtesy name Xiwen. He is remembered for his moral integrity, political ideals, and the celebrated line, "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles, and the last to enjoy its pleasures." Although his surviving lyrics are not numerous, they are marked by breadth, restraint, and emotional depth. "Su Mu Zhe · Blue-Clouded Sky" is one of his best-known works, blending autumn scenery with profound homesickness.