Yuan Dynasty
后庭花
赵孟頫
清溪一叶舟，
芙蓉两岸秋。
采菱谁家女，
歌声起暮鸥。
乱云愁，
满头风雨，
戴荷叶归去休。
Translation
A small boat drifts along the clear stream; autumn lies among the lotus flowers on both banks. Whose daughter is gathering water chestnuts? Her song startles the evening gulls into flight. Tangled clouds seem sorrowful; wind and rain fall over her head. Wearing a lotus leaf, she turns home.
Analysis
This piece is concise and painterly. The first lines establish a quiet autumn waterscape: a clear stream, a small boat, lotus flowers, and both banks touched by autumn. The gathering girl and her song animate the still scene, while the evening gulls give it movement. The final image—wearing a lotus leaf against the rain—turns a sudden shower into a graceful rural gesture. The poem’s charm lies in understatement, lightness, and the delicate balance between landscape and human presence.