Home › Poems › Green Jade Cup: Lantern Festival
Qīng Yù ÀnGreen Jade Cup: Lantern Festival 青玉案
On lantern night, the one you seek stands where the lights grow thin.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
东风夜放花千树
dōng fēng yè fàng huā qiān shù
更吹落星如雨
gèng chuī luò xīng rú yǔ
宝马雕车香满路
bǎo mǎ diāo chē xiāng mǎn lù
凤箫声动
fèng xiāo shēng dòng
玉壶光转
yù hú guāng zhuǎn
一夜鱼龙舞
yī yè yú lóng wǔ
蛾儿雪柳黄金缕
é ér xuě liǔ huáng jīn lǚ
笑语盈盈暗香去
xiào yǔ yíng yíng àn xiāng qù
众里寻他千百度
zhòng lǐ xún tā qiān bǎi dù
蓦然回首
mò rán huí shǒu
那人却在
nà rén què zài
灯火阑珊处
dēng huǒ lán shān chù
Simplified characters; traditional title: 青玉案.
English translation
The east wind at night sets a thousand trees of blossom ablaze;
then blows the stars down like rain.
Fine horses and carved carriages perfume the road.
Phoenix flutes stir;
the jade pot of moonlight turns;
all night fish-and-dragon lanterns dance.
Moth ornaments, snow-willow, threads of gold—
laughter and perfume drift away.
In the crowd I search for her a thousand times.
I turn my head—
and there she is,
where the lanterns have grown sparse.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Lantern night fills the city with wind and wheels. Search a thousand times in the crowd; turn once—and there they are, where the lamps have thinned.
Background
Xin Qiji on the Lantern Festival: "the east wind blows open a thousand flowering trees".
Key words
- 青玉案 qīng yù àn
- Green Jade Table — a ci tune title
- 元夕 yuán xī
- the Lantern Festival night (15th of the 1st month)
- 灯火阑珊 dēng huǒ lán shān
- lanterns burning low — the end of the revel
About the poet: Xin Qiji
Xin Qiji is a leading ci poet of the Southern Song, writing in both heroic and delicate modes.
Lifetime: 1140–1207. Other famous works: Green Jade Cup: Lantern Festival (青玉案); Clear Calm Music: Village Life (清平乐); West River Moon (西江月); Partridge Sky (鹧鸪天).