Wind and Rain
A sword-song sounds desolate;
My wandering lodging approaches the year’s end.
Yellow leaves still face wind and rain,
While music plays on in painted towers.
New friendships meet with a cold world;
Old affections are kept apart from a hoped-for meeting.
My heart breaks over the wine of Xinfeng;
How much must a measure cost to dispel this sorrow?
Notes
The sword-song alludes to a literary tradition, though its exact reference is debated. The painted tower is a place of music; its meaning should not be assumed from the modern sense of the Chinese term. Xinfeng was known for wine. A dou is a measure of capacity.
Meaning
At year’s end, the traveller contrasts storm-tossed leaves with music in a tower and reflects on frustrated friendships and sorrow.
Appreciation
The sword-song and wandering establish a troubled opening.
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Storm-tossed leaves and music in a tower present contrasting scenes.
The people behind new and old ties need not be identified with certainty to understand the separation.
Xinfeng wine and the final question suggest sorrow that is difficult to dispel.
About the poet
Li Shangyin (c. 813–c. 858), courtesy name Yishan, was a late Tang poet. His family came from the area of present-day Qinyang, Henan; accounts of his dates differ.
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He served in regional offices and wrote works including The Patterned Zither and poems titled Untitled.
Readers differ on the addressee of Night Rain Sent North and the specific meaning of Chang’e.