Jiang Zhenzi 江 城 子 Poem by Rachel Gao

Jiang zhenzi
by su shi

January 20th, i woke up in the midnight, i couldn't sleep because of dreaming of my wife, then wrote down the poem.

Ten years living and dead have drawn apart
I do nothing to remember
But I can not forget
Your lonely grave a thousand miles away...
Nowhere can I talk of my sorrow -
Even if we met, how would you know me
My face full of dust
My hair like snow?

In the dark of night, a dream: suddenly, I am home
You by the window
Doing your hair
I look at you and can not speak
Your face is streaked by endless tears
Year after year must they break my heart
These moonlit nights?
That low pine grave?


Ten years ago, su shi's wife died, he left the city and moved to another place.He missed his wife somuch, , however her grave was a thousand miles away.In these 10 years, su shi experienced many hardships of bureaucracy.so the poet thought if his wife met him, she couldn't recognize him: face is full of dust, , hair is like snow...





　 江 城 子 苏 轼

　 　 乙 卯 正 月 二 十 日 夜 记 梦
　 　 十 年 生 死 两 茫 茫 ，
　 　 不 思 量 ， 自 难 忘 。
　 　 千 里 孤 坟 ， 无 处 话 凄 凉 。
　 　 纵 使 相 逢 应 不 识 ，
　 　 尘 满 面 ， 鬓 如 霜 。
　 　 夜 来 幽 梦 忽 还 乡 ，
　 　 小 轩 窗 ， 正 梳 妆 。
　 　 相 顾 无 言 ， 惟 有 泪 千 行 。
　 　 料 得 年 年 肠 断 处 ，
　 　 明 月 夜 ， 短 松 冈 。