"Slow Voice" by Li Qingzhao

Slow voice

Li Qingzhao

Looking and searching, deserted and miserable. It is most difficult to breathe when it is suddenly warm and then cold. Three cups and two cups of light wine are no match for him. The wind comes late and the wind blows! The wild geese are passing by, and I am sad, but it is an old acquaintance. The yellow flowers are piled up all over the ground, and they are haggard and damaged. Who is worthy of picking them now? Watching the window, how can you be alone in darkness! The phoenix trees are covered with drizzle, and at dusk, it rains bit by bit. This time, how could there be such a thing as "sorrow"!

[Explanation]

This poem was written by Li Qingzhao in his later years. It may be regarded as a summary of her life's troubled experiences. The poet uses narrative techniques to express the lonely and sad mood of autumn dusk through images such as the evening breeze, returning geese, yellow flowers, parasol trees, and drizzle. The sorrow written in the poem is based on the specific life of the country and the family, and contains profound content, which is different from the ordinary sad autumn works that moan without illness. Giving full play to the expressive power of rhythm and tone is an outstanding feature of this poem. The seven groups of repeated characters at the beginning are divided into three levels to describe the poet's movements, demeanor, external feelings and inner sorrow, from the outside to the inside, layer by layer, and mostly use words with a relatively depressed and low sound, "One word, one tear," They are all swallowed with gritted teeth” (Liang Qichao’s words). The selection and combination of the sounds in the whole word also reflect an obvious sense of depression, have a special musical effect, and truly convey the inner melancholy and sorrow of the poet.