Spring South of the Yangtze · Waters Stretch into the Haze
Song dynasty・Kou Zhun
Classical Chinese-style Ballad
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孤村芳草远，斜日杏花飞。— Fragrant grasses stretch far from a lonely village; apricot blossoms flutter in the slanting sun.
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- 无事小狗仙
- 2025-03-26 18:01
- 56 reads
波渺渺，柳依依。孤村芳草远，斜日杏花飞。江南春尽离肠断，苹满汀洲人未归。— The waters stretch into the distance, the willows sway softly. Fragrant grasses reach far from a lonely village; apricot blossoms flutter in the slanting sun. Spring ends in Jiangnan, and parting breaks the heart; white clover fern fills the river islets, yet the loved one has not returned.
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Translation
The rippling waters stretch far away, and willow branches hang tenderly. Beside a lonely village, fragrant grass extends into the distance; apricot blossoms fall in the slanting sun. Spring in Jiangnan is nearly over, and parting brings heart-rending sorrow; white water plants already cover the riverside shoals, yet the traveler has still not returned.
Annotations
渺渺: Distant and boundless. 依依: Swaying gently. 离肠: A heart saddened by parting.
苹（pín）: an aquatic plant, often called 白苹 in classical poetry. 汀洲: flat ground or small islets in or beside water. 人未归: the awaited person has not yet returned; their identity is not specified.
Introduction
Reading guide: Kou Zhun uses a short lyric to express longing for someone in late spring. The opening extends the gaze over rippling water and distant grass; only at the end does it explicitly mention waiting for someone who has not returned, gradually revealing the earlier spring scenery as an expression of separation's sorrow.
Commentary
Waves, willows, village, grass, and apricot blossoms create layers from the riverbank to the settlement. Beautiful as the scene is, everything tends toward “远” (“distance”), “斜” (“slanting”), and “飞落” (“fluttering down”). Even as spring unfolds, it is moving toward its end.
At the end, “满” (“full”) stands against “未” (“not yet”): vegetation flourishes in season, while the awaited traveler fails to return as hoped. The mismatch between nature’s calendar and human affairs makes the waiting feel especially long.
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Chinese-Style Folk
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Returning Sails as Apricot Blossoms Fade
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Apricot Blossom Ferry
The apricot blossoms have all fallen, and Meng Shuang still leaves a place at the bow for Lu Zhi, who failed to keep their appointment twelve years ago. For the past three years, another old woman has often hired her boat and stayed until dusk, saying her daughter knows the apricot tree at the crossing. A phoenix hairpin with a broken wing slips into view from a sleeve, while the hot fish soup usually shared with the old woman cools between them.
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