Song Dynasty
醉太平·闺情·情高意真
情高意真，眉长鬓青。
小楼明月调筝，写春风数声。
思君忆君，魂牵梦萦。
翠绡香暖云屏，更那堪酒醒。
Translation
Her feeling is noble and true; her brows are long, her temples dark. Under the moon in a small tower, she tunes the zither and releases a few notes like spring wind. She thinks of you and remembers you; her soul is drawn away, and dreams remain entangled. Green silk is fragrant, the clouded screen is warm, but once the wine has worn off, how can she bear this longing?
Analysis
Though brief, this lyric gives a layered portrait of a woman in her chamber. The opening describes both character and appearance: her feeling is elevated and sincere; her brows and hair are graceful. It is not merely physical beauty but a union of inward quality and outward form. The next line gathers setting, gesture, and sound: a moonlit tower, a tuned zither, and a few notes like spring wind. The sound is soft, but it carries the heart's message. In the second half, longing is named directly, yet it does not become blunt because it follows naturally from the music. The final images—green silk, fragrance, a warm clouded screen—belong to a refined interior world. Precisely because the room is warm and delicate, the sobriety after wine feels harder to bear. Liu Guo is often remembered for bold and patriotic lyrics, but this small piece shows his ability to write intimate longing with economy and resonance.
About the Author
Liu Guo, courtesy name Gaizhi and known as Longzhou Daoren, was a Southern Song lyricist from Taihe in Jizhou. Though he remained outside high office, he was outspoken and passionate about the recovery of the north. His ci range from vigorous patriotic feeling to delicate private emotion. Zui Taiping: Boudoir Longing belongs to the latter mode: in a few lines it presents a woman tuning the zither under the moon, sobering from wine, and finding that longing has only grown sharper.