Spring Sorrow
Beyond the gauze window, sunset gives way to dusk;
In the splendid room no one sees the traces of tears.
The empty courtyard is lonely as spring nears its end;
Pear blossoms cover the ground, and the door stays closed.
Notes
A gauze window frames dusk. “Golden room” evokes a traditional story of a splendid dwelling. The courtyard is empty, and another textual version reads “again” where this version reads “nearing.”
Meaning
At dusk, unseen tears and a closed door frame a lonely courtyard covered with pear blossoms.
Appreciation
Sunset moves into dusk, setting the mood through a change in light.
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A splendid room stands beside tears unseen by anyone, placing luxury and loneliness together.
Falling blossoms mark time while the closed door remains still.
A palace setting is one common reading, but the poem does not fully explain the figure’s identity or the closed door.
About the poet
Liu Fangping was a Tang poet associated with the Luoyang area. Reliable details of his life and dates are limited.
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His surviving poems include Moonlit Night and Spring Sorrow.
His precise dates are not established by a complete surviving record.