What are some heartbreaking lines of poetry?

Nov 21, 2023 poetry, poetry-verses

Huang Jingren - A Poet Long Overlooked

Huang Jingren, born in 1916, is a lesser-known poet who deserves our attention. Despite his talents and contributions to Chinese literature, he has been neglected and rarely mentioned in discussions about great poets.

Huang’s poetry reflects his deep insights into life and his unique perspective on the world. With a lyrical and introspective style, his poems capture the essence of human emotions and the beauty of nature.

One of Huang’s notable works is “The Song of Solitude,” in which he contemplates the meaning of existence and the fleeting nature of time. Through his vivid imagery and poignant language, he strikes a chord with readers, evoking both melancholy and contemplation.

Another poem, “Whispering Breezes,” showcases Huang’s love for nature. He portrays the gentle whispers of the wind, the rustling of leaves, and the serenity of a tranquil lakeside, painting a tranquil and idyllic scene for readers to immerse themselves in.

Despite his talent, Huang Jingren’s contributions to literature have largely gone unnoticed. It is time for us to rediscover and appreciate the remarkable works of this overlooked poet. Let us delve into his words, immerse ourselves in his thoughts, and pay homage to a poet who has long been overlooked but deserves recognition.

Huang Jingren, courtesy name Hanyong, also known as Zhongze, may be relatively obscure to people today, but he was renowned for his poetry during his time and was considered one of the “Seven Scholars of Pilin” along with Wang Tan. He was also known as one of the “Two Talents” alongside Hong Liangji.

Even if you can’t recall who he was, you have definitely read his poems:

“Nine out of ten people scorn me, a scholar with no practical use”

“After parting, empty longing is but water, looking back is already three lifetimes”

They are well-known to all.

Huang Jingren was from Wujin County, Changzhou Prefecture. It is said that he was a descendant of the Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian, but he did not receive any benefits from his ancestral fame.

Growing up in poverty and hardship, with his father dying when he was only four years old, Huang Jingren did not have a good life even during the so-called golden age of the Kangxi and Qianlong eras.

In traditional China after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, a household could only lead a respectable life through success in the imperial examinations.

Although the Huang family was poor, Huang Jingren’s education was not hindered. However, due to the fierce competition of the examinations, he failed numerous times. Because of his impoverished background, Huang Jingren had to give up on the examinations and choose to use his “knowledge” to make a living.

In his pursuit of a living, this poet with a renowned name but no success in the examinations also experienced the harsh reality of interpersonal relationships. His ambition was difficult to realize, and his talent went unrecognized. The frustration and resentment slowly drained his body, and in the end, this “first poet to be recognized during the sixty years of the Qianlong era” died in a foreign land at the young age of 35.

Huang Jingren wrote over two thousand poems in his lifetime, and more than a thousand of them have been passed down to this day. His poems reflect the hardships and frustrations of his life, and they are imbued with a sense of melancholy and desolation. However, the emotions conveyed are exceptionally sincere and moving.

For example, his poem series “Qi Huai,” which was inspired by Li Shangyin’s expression of love and longing in his poem “Untitled,” is quite renowned.

Today, let’s take a look at the most famous poem from this series, “Qi Huai - Part Fifteen,” which depicts a tragic and melancholic love.

“Qi Huai - Part Fifteen”

By Huang Jingren

“Sitting under the flowers, playing the flute several times, The Milky Way enters the distant red wall.”

“Like these stars, it’s not from last night, For whom does the wind and dew stand in the middle of the night?”

“Persistent thoughts pull out the tattered cocoon, The winding heart is hurt after the banana is peeled.”

“Three or five years, three or five months, Pity the wine cup that has never been emptied.”

This poem was written by Huang Jingren in remembrance of his cousin. When Huang Jingren was young, he and his cousin were in love, but their story ended in regret. Just from the title “Qi Huai,” a sense of melancholy and sorrow can be faintly felt.

“In the flowers, playing the flute several times, the Milky Way enters the distant red wall.”

In the opening couplet, the author portrays a beautiful scenery and the beginning of this love story. Under the moonlight flowers, there is a beautiful woman playing the flute. However, despite this picturesque scene, there is a red wall separating the two. This wall makes the two seem as distant and unattainable as the Milky Way in the sky, indicating an unreachable love.

“Like these stars, it’s not from last night, For whom does the wind and dew stand in the middle of the night?”

The second couplet is the most famous in this poem and is a classic expression of love. The author is aware that the previous beautiful starry nights are gone and cannot be retrieved. However, he dares not face reality and can only stand alone under the stars, addicted to longing. The romantic scene from last night when flowers were played under becomes a stark contrast with the person standing under the stars tonight, how lonely and sorrowful it is.

“Persistent thoughts pull out the tattered cocoon, The winding heart is hurt after the banana is peeled.”

These two balanced phrases show the extraordinary linguistic skills of the poet. Each line reveals his innermost feelings and points to profound emotions. The word “silk” in Chinese sounds like “thinking” and the word “heart” sounds like “core.” This conveys the poet’s lingering thoughts and feelings being exhausted, just like pulling a tattered cocoon. The winding emotions have been hurt, just like peeling a banana.

This line is actually very similar to Li Shangyin’s “Till the silk runs out, the spring silkworm dies; When the wax torch turns to ashes, tears dry up.” Both of them depict the desperate end of a love affair.

“Three or five years, three or five months, Pity the wine cup that has never been emptied.”

In the closing couplet, the author uses past events to contrast with the present desperation. The year they fell in love was the same year his cousin turned fifteen. “Three or five months” refers to a specific time, the fifteenth day of the lunar month, which is the night of the full moon.

When they were in love, they spent their time drinking and playing the flute under the flowers. However, everything has become the past now, like the lingering bitterness of last night’s wine that can never be removed.

This heartfelt line and countless sighs create an immortal chapter that depicts the pain of a love that has been shattered. The deep thoughts and hopeless expectations conveyed by the poet are truly touching, leaving a lingering impression on the reader.

In life, they were unable to stay together despite their love for each other. They were merely distant stars, silently gazing at each other in the dark night sky, within reach but forever unattainable.

References:

Love and Farewell

Your tears overflow, my tears overflow; our hearts are still bound by an unfinished tie. By the river, the tide has already calmed. - Lin Bu’s “Longing”
I urge you to frequent the land of intoxication, where worries and sorrows cease to exist. - Yan Jidao’s “Jade Tower Spring”
The crimson strings are severed, the clear mirror is broken, the morning dew evaporates, the fragrant season fades. With a white head, I sing songs of sorrow and separation. Make an effort to eat well and don’t worry about me. The river flows peacefully as we bid each other farewell. - Zhuo Wenjun’s “Farewell Letter”
I lament the morning thrush and the waning moon, as we part and become separated by the sound of silence. Now we are both strangers in a foreign land, with no chance of meeting again. - Wei Zhuang’s “Lotus Leaf Cup: Remembering the Flowers of That Year”
I don’t know where that person’s face is, but the green waves still flow eastward. - Yan Shu’s “Qingping Yue: A Red Letter”

I also believe that a beautiful person will eventually turn into soil, unable to sustain a fleeting dream. - Lu You’s “Spring Outing”
Liu Lang already hates the distant Peng Mountain, now separated by ten thousand folds of mountain. - Li Shangyin’s “Untitled”
I vividly remember the moment of parting, shedding tears to bid farewell. Like a dream! Like a dream! The waning moon and falling petals are shrouded in smoke. - Li Cunxu’s “Remembering the Fairy’s Grace”
Spring has not yet brought greenness, but my temples turn white. Our separation in the mortal realm has not brought much sadness. Who teaches the red lotus to bloom on every New Year’s Eve? In our contemplation, we each know our own thoughts. - Jiang Kui’s “Zhe Gu Tian: Dreaming on the Night of the Lantern Festival”
Now I finally realize that I was wrong at that time, and my mind is filled with melancholy. Tears of sorrow flow, and my eyes are filled with the spring breeze and countless burdens. - Nalan Xingde’s “Cai Sang Zi”

Although the vow of eternal love still stands, the embroidered letter is difficult to deliver. No, no, no! - Lu You’s “Phoenix Hairpin: Red Silken Hand”
Once entering the noble residence, it becomes as deep as the sea, and from then on the wanderer becomes a stranger. - Cui Hao’s “Remembering the Maidservant”
How much tenderness is contained within an inch of soft intestines? On a thin quilt and lonely pillow, dreams return with the sound of silence, through the peaceful dawn rain. - Hui Hong’s “Qing Yu An: Silk Trees, Smoky Willows, and the Long Pavilion Road”
The drawing room, though near, is as deep as the sea. When I reminisce, I only turn to old books. When will we walk hand in hand into Chang’an? - Wei Zhuang’s “Wan Xi Sha”
When we meet, our emotions run deep, wishing we could have met earlier. Having met countless people, none are as good as her. - Shi Jiu Jian’s “Bu Suan Zi: To the Courtesan Le Wanhang”

This body has become a mound of dirt in the wild, leaving only traces of tears. - Lu You’s “Two Poems from Shen Garden”
The sorrow of parting under the honeysuckle tree remains, but deep inside lies a secret lover. - Wen Tingyun’s “Two Poems of Southern Songs”
Truly, this sorrow is felt by all, regardless of wealth or poverty. - Yuan Zhen’s “Farewell Mourning, Three Poems: No. 2”
Spring nights are filled with the moon, illuminating falling blossoms of someone in departure. - Zhang Bi’s “Sending Off”
The East wind gradually brings greenness to the willows of West Lake, but the geese have returned and the person has not yet come back from the south. The most crucial matter, breaking the blooming plum blossoms, is difficult to send in a letter of longing. - Zhou Mi’s “Gao Yang Tai”

If life could remain as it was when we first met, why would the autumn wind lament behind the painted fan? - Nalan Xingde’s “Mu Lan Hua: A Letter to a Friend in the Style of an Ancient Desperate Poem”
From then on, the sounds of the world became quiet. The spring mountain is like indigo, the grass is like smoke. - Huang Jingren’s “Feeling Nostalgic”
The life of a goddess was originally a dream, and the residence of a young girl was never meant for a lover. - Li Shangyin’s “Untitled”
Pity the fickleness of human emotions, as thin as clouds and water. Beautiful encounters are hard to come by again. Deliberating deeply, it’s clear that a broken heart can be found in many places, but it won’t be the same as before. - Yan Jidao’s “Youthful Wanderings”
On this year’s Lantern Festival, the moon and the lanterns remain the same. Not seeing the people from last year, tears stain my spring clothes. - Ouyang Xiu’s “Sheng Cha Zi: Yuanxi”

The apricot blossoms on the jade bridge are now mere memories, as people disappear and only the flowing water remains. - Qin Guan’s “Jiang Cheng Zi: West City Willow Plays Spring Softly”
After parting, longing is as vast as a body of water. Looking back, it feels like three lifetimes have passed. - Huang Jingren’s “Feeling Nostalgic”
Unknowingly, my soul has been broken, and only dreams continue to accompany me. - Wei Zhuang’s “Nv Guan Zi: April 17”
This feeling has already turned into a memory, like the scattered mandarin ducks. The rain stops, leaving a coolness in the air, reminiscent of an ephemeral dream from eleven years ago. - Nalan Xingde’s “Cai Sang Zi”
I long for someone far away in a distant land. I am deeply affected by a matter that lies deep within me. - Bai Juyi’s “Night Rain”

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A state of loneliness, confusion in constant change.

Today, while scrolling through my phone, I came across a sentence:

A lonely white rabbit, walking east while looking back west.

I didn’t feel much when I read it before, but it suddenly struck a chord with me today.

“Lonely” in this context means being alone and having no one to rely on.

What does it look like? Walking east but constantly looking back west, that’s when that sense of loneliness arises.

Why does it happen?

It could be due to confusion, not knowing where to go, or simply not wanting to go but having no choice.

The next line is, “Clothes are not as new, people are not the same.”

According to the common interpretation:

This poem was originally found in the book “Tai Ping Yulan”, volume 689, titled “Ancient Erotic Songs”, without an author’s name. In editions selected by people from the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is often attributed to Dou Xuan’s wife, titled “Ancient Melancholy Song”.

In volume 30 of “Yi Wen Lei Ju”, it is recorded that Dou Xuan’s wife’s story goes as follows: “Dou Xuan, from the Later Han dynasty, possessed a unique appearance, and the emperor married a princess to him. His previous wife wrote him a farewell letter, saying: ‘Abandoned wife, dismissed daughter, I respectfully present this to Dou Sheng. I am lowly and vulgar, not comparable to a noblewoman. I am already far away, while she is already close. Where can I turn to for solace, looking up to the heavens. Oh, Dou Sheng, how tragic! Clothes are no longer new, people are no longer the same. How can this sorrow be endured, this resentment not dissipate? Who is that person alone, residing in this place?'” However, it never mentioned that Dou Xuan’s wife wrote this song. This information is still sourced from “Tai Ping Yulan”.

This poem is a poem by a forsaken woman. The first two lines metaphorically describe herself being abandoned and still longing for her former lover. The next two lines try to convince her former lover to remember the past.

Looking at it more broadly, it doesn’t necessarily have to be about a scorned woman, a parting, or being forced. The emotion conveyed is universal.

Leaving a familiar place, walking while constantly looking around, however,

Everything seems boundless, the breeze shakes hundreds of grasses.

Encountering unfamiliar things, how can one not age quickly?

This is a state that everyone experiences in life, and perhaps it’s our entire existence. Nothing is eternal, everything is in constant flux. We are surrounded by unfamiliar things, and that sense of confusion can lead to immense sorrow.

Going to Great Lengths

Speaking in nonsensical dreams and reciting poetry, the sentences that wake you up, a pinch, a kick, a scratch, going to great lengths, allowing you to instantly experience the joy of speaking gibberish.

One day, you and I will each have our own families, one wife, two concubines, three or four children. Over five or six years, the world will change dramatically, and the past will become nothing but old dreams. Only two or three remnants of youthful recklessness will remain, memories of old age that serve as nothing more than laughter.

Just as you are enjoying life to the fullest, you discover something under the bed. It’s fine to have ideals, but please don’t talk nonsense. The consequences are severe.

If you are lying on the ground, don’t get up just yet. There is still a chance to remedy the situation, then recite another poem.

At the end of prosperity, find an uninhabited valley, build a wooden cottage, lay a small path of bluestones, and live a peaceful life with you, surrounded by the sound of morning bells and evening drums.

At this point, an interlude can be added. Rubbing my eyes, “Where am I? Just now, the Chinese teacher asked us to recite verses and I spoke too softly. I’ll get scolded for sure.”

If you’re not satisfied yet, there are alternative verses to choose from.

I would give up three lifetimes of fireworks for the bewildering beauty of one lifetime with you. It is all because of catching your one glance that I am constantly thinking of you from morning till night.
One city, one person. One lantern, one fireworks display. One ancient tree, one lingering fragrance of snow jade. One person glances back, one lifetime of prosperity without blemish.
Even if a million catastrophes befall us, even if lovesickness seeps into our bones, I will still treat you as if it were the first time we laid eyes on each other, as timeless as the passing years.
Though only a brief moment of surprise to me, to you, it is like a gentle breeze passing by your fingertips.
The picturesque landscape is no match for the vermilion mark between your brows. Empty words mean nothing, yet I am willing to believe that you would overthrow the world for me.

A Heartache

I have a jug of wine, enough to console the weary soul.

Looking back, I now suffer from severe fatty liver disease.

If life were as it was when we first met, we would have thought it was ordinary.

Instead, we have become each other’s exes.

There are trees on the mountains, but these trees have no branches. My heart delights in you, but you are unaware.

Don’t send me a wedding invitation when you get married.

Wind sweeps away fragrant sand, time ages like old wine.

The crossroads of middle age.

No concerns but for the white tea’s pure joy, I am waiting for the wind, waiting for you.

Being alone with plain wine is dull, I dream of flowers, and I dream of you.

The unfinished love between a person and a ghost.

A Broad Mind Determines the Landscape

A broad mind determines the landscape, Height determines the vision, Angle changes the perspective, Scale grasps life, The domain determines the territory.

Life is nothing more than a process, Glory is like morning dew on flowers, wealth is like frost on grass, You can’t bring life when you’re born, you can’t take anything when you die, What are you proud of? What are you disappointed about? Go with the flow, accept whatever comes your way, Be as carefree as the clouds, as relaxed as flowing water, That is the attitude life should have.

Time is a wonderful thing, Forgiving the unforgivable, Getting over the unovercome past, Maybe occasionally reminiscing the beauty of the past, But people always have to learn to look forward.

Learn magnanimity from Taoism, Learn tranquility from Buddhism, Learn righteousness from Confucianism.

In life, we must balance two things: “What I want” and “What I should”… Everyone wants a life where they can do whatever they want, But as we watch our parents grow old, shouldn’t we take on some responsibilities that we should? Young people should shoulder more responsibilities and be less willful.

Life is like a game of chess, Not all moves lead to victory, not all retreats lead to defeat, When it’s time to get what you deserve, don’t hesitate, go for it decisively; When it’s time to retreat, let go and don’t regret it. Plan with magnanimity, assess the situation, Be clear-headed in the details, be cautious and tidy.

Life is long yet fleeting, Each day is a limited edition, Do not let down any given day, It is the best account for the future, Enjoy the beauty of life to the fullest, Constantly enrich the essence of life, The life you desire depends on yourself.

Walking on the path of life, There is no need to envy those who are high up, There is no need to look down on those who are behind, Because success is not the height of life, But the speed of life, It is right under our feet at this moment, Getting closer the further we walk.

What determines one’s personal image, Is not just in appearance, but also in temperament; What determines the reputation of a painting, Is not just in craftsmanship, but also in craftsmanship.

The worst thing in life is to care about everything, But not being able to hold onto anything. Lost scenery, scattered companions, Unattainable desires, Are all residing at the end of fate. Why hold on too tightly? What needs to come will come naturally, what needs to leave cannot be kept. Let go of attachments, living with detached mind is the best life. It was not the world that chose you, But you chose this world, Since there is no pure land, it’s better to be calm; Since wishes may not come true, it’s better to be content.