To the Tune of

Li Ching Chao 1804 (Jinan, Shandong) – 1155 (Shaoxing, Zhejiang)



The fragrance of the pink lotus
fails, the jade mat hints of autumn.
Softly I unfasten my silk cloak,
Who is sending a letter from
among the clouds?
When the swan message returns,
the balcony is flooded with moonlight.

The blossoms drift on, the water flows.
There is the same yearning of the heart,
But it abides in two places.
There is no way to drive away this yearning:
Driven from the eyebrows,
It enters the heart.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

23 sec read
86

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXAXXX XBXXXB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 428
Words 79
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 7, 6

Li Ching Chao

Li Qingzhao, pseudonym Householder of Yi'an (易安居士), was a Chinese poet and essayist during the Song dynasty.[2] She is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. more…

All Li Ching Chao poems | Li Ching Chao Books

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    "To the Tune of" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/25826/to-the-tune-of>.

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