Song Dynasty
一剪梅·舟过吴江·一片春愁待酒浇
一片春愁待酒浇。
江上舟摇，楼上帘招。
秋娘渡与泰娘桥，风又飘飘，雨又萧萧。
何日归家洗客袍？
银字笙调，心字香烧。
流光容易把人抛，红了樱桃，绿了芭蕉。
Translation
A whole stretch of spring sorrow waits to be washed down with wine. On the river the boat rocks; above the tavern, the curtain-sign beckons. Passing Qiuniang Ferry and Tainiang Bridge, the wind drifts and the rain falls desolately. When will I return home and wash this traveler’s robe? Then I could tune the silver-lettered sheng and burn heart-shaped incense. Time so easily leaves people behind: cherries have turned red, and plantains have turned green.
Analysis
This is one of Jiang Jie’s best-known travel lyrics, written from a boat passing through Wujiang in spring. The opening line is direct and memorable: spring sorrow becomes something that waits to be poured over with wine. The rocking boat and the beckoning tavern curtain create a world of movement and unsettled temptation. The place names, Qiuniang Ferry and Tainiang Bridge, carry the softness of the Jiangnan region, but wind and rain turn that softness into loneliness. The central line is “When will I return home and wash this traveler’s robe?” The robe bears dust, but it also represents the identity of a long-term wanderer. The imagined home life of tuning a sheng and burning incense suggests peace, ritual, and intimacy. The final couplet is famous because it shows time’s passing through color rather than statement: cherries redden, plantains turn green. The scene is bright, yet the feeling is desolate. Jiang Jie’s lyric art often works in this way: clear images, graceful language, and deep sorrow beneath the surface.
About the Author
Jiang Jie, style name Shengyu and literary name Zhushan, was a late Southern Song and early Yuan ci poet. After the fall of the Song, he lived in retirement and did not serve the new dynasty. His lyrics often express dynastic loss, wandering, and the sadness of aging. Jiang Jie is known for clear language, vivid color, and the ability to place deep sorrow beneath ordinary scenes. “Yijianmei: Passing Wujiang by Boat” combines Jiangnan spring scenery with the loneliness of travel.