“Que Treading on Branches: Thousands of Plums Fall from the Branches” is a poem written by Feng Yansi, a poet of the Southern Tang Dynasty. This is a beautiful poem about a woman missing her husband and complaining about her love for him. The first three sentences of the first stanza describe the scene in front of her eyes, forming a sad and stunning artistic conception. The description of the scene is actually about the feeling of separation. “Last night, the music and singing were easily dispersed” describes the hasty end of the farewell banquet in the memory, which is exactly what people feel when they “drink without mood” and become more depressed. The second stanza describes climbing the tower and looking forward to the return, but the spring chill hits people. Surrounded by mountains, the returning geese have all passed by, and the dusk is heavy. It describes the long time and the deep hatred of separation. The last three words “thinking about it all” are full of connotations and profound emotions. The poet uses this woman to express a kind of sadness of failure in love, and at the same time expresses his feelings about “the end of the feast” and “the impermanence of life”. Although the writing style does not use any metaphors, it mostly expresses the feelings directly. The more one thinks about the separation, the more one regrets that it is “easy to break up”. This psychological transformation is cleverly and smoothly expressed in this poem. The style has a strong sentimental atmosphere, forming a kind of sad beauty.
《鹊踏枝·梅落繁枝千万片》是南唐词人冯延巳所作的一首词。这是一首写思妇闺怨的艳词。上阕开头三句写眼前之景，构成凄艳惊人的意境。写景实写离情也。“昨夜笙歌容易散”写忆中饯行宴会的草草结束，正写人之“帐饮无绪”，愁闷有加。下阕写登楼翘望盼归，然而春寒袭人。四周山围，归雁过尽，暮蔼沉沉，写历时之久，寓离恨之深。最后“思量遍”三字，含蕴不尽，情自深远。词人借这名女子抒发了一种情场失意的伤感之情，同时又表达了对“盛宴终散”、“人生无常”的感慨。写作手法上虽没有附会什么比兴，多是直抒其情，愈是别后“思量遍”，愈惜当时的“容易散”，这种心理转换在这首词中表现得巧妙而酣畅。风格上具有较浓郁的感伤气息，形成一种哀愁之美。
《鹊踏枝·梅花繁枝千万片》 冯延巳
梅花繁枝千万片，
犹自多情，
学雪随风转。
昨夜笙歌容易散，
酒醒添得愁无限。
楼上春山寒四面，
过尽征鸿，
暮景烟深浅。
一向凭阑人不见，
鲛绡掩泪思量遍。
Grief
Tune: “Magpie on the Branch”
Feng Yansi
Thousands of petals fall from the mume trees
Reluctantly and whirl like snow in the breeze.
Gone are last night’s flute songs, a joy so brief;
Awake from wine, I find but boundless grief.
Upstairs I see spring mountains cold far and near;
No more wild geese(1)
But light and heavy evening smokes appear.
For long I lean on rails without seeing my dear;
I think of her still while I dry up tear on tear.
1. The wild geese were supposed to be messengers in ancient China.
