Yuan Dynasty
寿阳曲 · 别珠帘秀
卢挚
才欢悦，
早间别，
痛煞煞好难割舍！
画船儿载将春去也，
空留下半江明月。
Translation
Joy had only just begun, yet already parting has come. The pain is so deep, it is hard to let go. The painted boat carries spring away with it, leaving only half a river of moonlight behind.
Analysis
Shouyang Tune · Parting from Zhu Lianxiu is a farewell song by Lu Zhi for Zhu Lianxiu, a celebrated Yuan actress and performer. The piece is very short, but it captures the emotional arc from reunion to separation with great precision. The opening lines are built on contrast: joy has only just arrived, yet parting has already come. "Just" and "already" create the feeling that happiness is too brief and separation too sudden. "The pain is so deep, it is hard to let go" uses direct Yuan colloquial language. It does not hide emotion behind refined indirection. The phrase feels spoken rather than composed, and that gives it force. "The painted boat carries spring away" is the central image. The boat carries away not only Zhu Lianxiu, but also the springlike brightness she brought with her: pleasure, warmth, beauty, and emotional renewal. The final line, "leaving only half a river of moonlight," is especially powerful. The moonlight is not literally half; rather, the speaker's world feels diminished after separation. The other half seems to have gone with the boat. The song's artistry lies in the movement from direct speech to symbolic landscape. First comes the pain of farewell, then the empty river and moon. In five short lines, Lu Zhi turns a personal parting into a scene of lasting loneliness.
About the Author
Lu Zhi, courtesy name Chudao, also known as Xinlao, and literary name Shuzhai, was a Yuan dynasty writer and sanqu poet from Zhuojun. He served in high literary office, including as Hanlin Academician-in-Chief, and was one of the important literati of the early Yuan. He was associated with figures such as Bai Pu, Ma Zhiyuan, and Zhu Lianxiu. His sanqu are numerous and cover landscape, historical reflection, object poems, reclusion, lamentation, and farewell. His style is clear, elegant, and open, combining literati refinement with the natural movement of Yuan song.