Yuan Dynasty
金字经·渔隐
马致远
絮飞飘白雪，
鲊香荷叶风，
且向江头作钓翁。
穷，
男儿未济中。
风波梦，
一场幻化中。
Translation
Willow catkins fly like drifting snow; in the breeze through lotus leaves comes the scent of preserved fish. Let me go to the riverbank for now and become an old fisherman. Poverty—so be it. A man is still in the midst of an uncrossed passage. The storms of life are dreams, all part of a changing illusion.
Analysis
This song presents the figure of the fisherman-recluse, but its withdrawal is not simple escapism. The light images of catkins, lotus breeze, and river fragrance contrast with the turbulence of ambition. The word “for now” matters: the speaker does not claim to have transcended the world completely; he only seeks temporary shelter from it. The single word “poverty” sounds like both a sigh and an admission. Yet “a man is still in the midst of an uncrossed passage” reveals that ambition has not vanished. The final lines transform worldly frustration into a broader vision of illusion. Fortune and failure become part of a dreamlike flux.
About the Author
Ma Zhiyuan was one of the greatest Yuan-dynasty dramatists and sanqu writers, traditionally grouped with Guan Hanqing, Bai Pu, and Zheng Guangzu as one of the “Four Great Masters of Yuan Drama.” Styled Qianli and known by the sobriquet Dongli, he is celebrated for both drama and lyrical songs. His sanqu often combines travel sorrow, disillusionment with fame, and a refined desire for withdrawal.