Analysis of "赠别二首" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The poem 赠别二首 (Zèng Bié Èr Shǒu, "Two Parting Poems") was written by the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu (803–852). Du Mu was a master of the jueju (绝句), a four-line poetic form known for its brevity and emotional depth. These poems were composed as farewells to a beloved courtesan, reflecting the Tang Dynasty's culture of romantic and artistic exchanges between poets and entertainers.

赠别二首 stands out for its delicate blend of tenderness, melancholy, and vivid imagery. It captures the bittersweet nature of parting, a recurring theme in classical Chinese poetry, while showcasing Du Mu's ability to convey deep emotion with elegant simplicity.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

Poem 1

娉娉袅袅十三余

Pīng pīng niǎo niǎo shí sān yú

Graceful and delicate, just past thirteen years,

豆蔻梢头二月初

Dòu kòu shāo tóu èr yuè chū

Like cardamom blossoms at the tip of a spring branch.

春风十里扬州路

Chūn fēng shí lǐ Yángzhōu lù

The spring breeze spans ten miles of Yangzhou roads,

卷上珠帘总不如

Juǎn shàng zhū lián zǒng bù rú

Yet rolling up beaded curtains, none compare to you.

Poem 2

多情却似总无情

Duō qíng què sì zǒng wú qíng

So full of love, yet seeming unfeeling,

唯觉樽前笑不成

Wéi jué zūn qián xiào bù chéng

Before the wine cup, I find I cannot smile.

蜡烛有心还惜别

Là zhú yǒu xīn hái xī bié

Even the candle, with a heart, grieves at parting,

替人垂泪到天明

Tì rén chuí lèi dào tiān míng

Shedding tears for us until dawn.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Poem 1

1. "Graceful and delicate, just past thirteen years"
   - The opening line paints the beloved as youthful and elegant. In Tang Dynasty culture, thirteen was considered a tender, blossoming age.

2. "Like cardamom blossoms at the tip of a spring branch"
   - The "cardamom blossom" (豆蔻) symbolizes purity and budding beauty, a metaphor for a young woman’s charm.

3. "The spring breeze spans ten miles of Yangzhou roads"
   - Yangzhou was a bustling, romantic city. The "spring breeze" evokes warmth and fleeting joy.

4. "Yet rolling up beaded curtains, none compare to you"
   - Even in a city of beauties, she stands unmatched—a testament to her uniqueness in the poet’s eyes.

Poem 2

1. "So full of love, yet seeming unfeeling"
   - A paradox: deep emotion often appears restrained in Chinese culture, where overt displays are rare.

2. "Before the wine cup, I find I cannot smile"
   - Wine, a traditional farewell symbol, fails to ease the sorrow of parting.

3. "Even the candle, with a heart, grieves at parting"
   - Personification: the candle’s "heart" (芯, wick) mirrors human sadness.

4. "Shedding tears for us until dawn"
   - The candle’s wax drips like tears, elongating the night’s sorrow.

Themes and Symbolism

1. Transient Beauty
   - The cardamom blossom and spring breeze symbolize fleeting youth and joy, central to Tang poetry.

2. Love and Parting
   - The poems juxtapose admiration (Poem 1) and heartache (Poem 2), reflecting Confucian ideals of restrained emotion.

3. Nature as Emotion
   - The candle and blossoms externalize inner feelings, a hallmark of classical Chinese lyricism.

Cultural Context

• Tang Dynasty Romanticism: Poets often wrote for courtesans, blending artistry with personal bonds.
• Yangzhou’s Significance: A cultural hub, it represented both luxury and transience in Tang literature.
• Philosophical Undertones: The poems echo Daoist acceptance of impermanence and Confucian emotional restraint.

Conclusion

Du Mu’s 赠别二首 masterfully intertwines natural imagery with human emotion, offering a timeless meditation on love and loss. Its quiet intensity resonates today, reminding us that parting—whether in 9th-century China or the modern world—remains a universal experience. The candle’s tears, the cardamom’s bloom: these symbols endure as poignant reminders of beauty’s fragility and the depth of unspoken bonds.

For readers exploring Chinese poetry, these poems serve as a gateway to understanding how emotion, nature, and philosophy merge in just a few, perfectly chosen characters.