Night Rain Sent North
You ask when I will return; there is no date yet.
Night rain in the Ba mountains fills the autumn pond.
When shall we trim the candle together by the west window
And talk again of this rainy night in the Ba mountains?
Notes
“Sent north” names the direction of the addressee, whose identity is debated. Ba mountains refers broadly to the Bashu region. Zhǎng means the pond rises. Trimming a candle removes its burnt wick and suggests a long conversation together; què huà means to recount later.
Meaning
The speaker cannot name a return date. Rain fills an autumn pond, while the speaker imagines a future reunion and a conversation about this very night.
Appreciation
The poem answers a question about returning, describes present rain and imagines recalling that night at a future reunion.
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The repeated word for a date places a question and an uncertain answer in one line.
The repeated “night rain in the Ba mountains” shifts from a present experience to a future memory.
The addressee may be a relative or friend; interpretations differ. Imagine what you would tell someone after a long separation.
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.