Qiū CíAutumn Song II 秋词
Climb the tower: the clear autumn air goes right through to the bone.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
山明水净夜来霜
shān míng shuǐ jìng yè lái shuāng
数树深红出浅黄
shù shù shēn hóng chū qiǎn huáng
试上高楼清入骨
shì shàng gāo lóu qīng rù gǔ
岂如春色嗾人狂
qǐ rú chūn sè sǒu rén kuáng
Simplified characters; traditional title: 秋詞.
English translation
Hills clear, water clean, frost came in the night;
a few trees of deep crimson stand out from pale yellow.
Climb the high tower—clarity enters to the bone;
how unlike spring color, which goads people into frenzy.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Climb the tower: the clear autumn air goes right through to the bone. A clear scene with a lasting aftertaste.
Background
By Liu Yuxi (中唐).
Key words
- 秋词 qiū cí
- Autumn Lyric — a poem title
- 春朝 chūn cháo
- a spring morning
- 碧霄 bì xiāo
- the blue empyrean; emerald sky
About the poet: Liu Yuxi
Liu Yuxi, a close friend of Liu Zongyuan and Bai Juyi, spent over twenty years in exile after the failed reform of 805. Bai Juyi called him the "hero of poetry" for his resilient, witty spirit.
Lifetime: 772–842. Other famous works: Black Robe Lane (乌衣巷); Autumn Song (秋词); The Autumn Wind (秋风引); An Inscription for My Humble Room (陋室铭); Gazing at Dongting (望洞庭); Bamboo Branch Song (竹枝词); Waves Washing Sand (浪淘沙); Admiring Peonies (赏牡丹); Autumn Song II (秋词).
More by Liu Yuxi
- Black Robe Lane乌衣巷
- Autumn Song秋词
- The Autumn Wind秋风引
- Gazing at Dongting望洞庭
- Bamboo Branch Song竹枝词
- Waves Washing Sand浪淘沙
- Admiring Peonies赏牡丹