“Liu Changqing’s New Year: Exile and Nostalgia”
Original Text and Translation
“新年作” (New Year Poem)
Tang Dynasty
By Liu Changqing
Translation:
As the new year arrives, my longing for home is even more intense, and I can’t help but shed tears in solitude at the edge of the sky. Now that I am old and relegated to a position beneath others, even spring seems to rush ahead of me. In the southern mountains, I can only find companionship with the monkeys at dawn and dusk or share the wind and mist with the willows by the river. My situation feels as dire as that of Jia Yi, who was demoted to be the Duke of Changsha; I wonder how many more years it will take before I can return home?
Expanded Explanation for American Readers
Liu Changqing, a Tang Dynasty poet, is known for his melancholic and reflective verse. His poem “新年作” (New Year Poem) offers a poignant exploration of exile, aging, and nostalgia, capturing the profound sense of longing and displacement that the poet feels as he reflects on the passage of time.
The poem opens with a powerful expression of homesickness. As the new year begins, Liu Changqing’s feelings of longing for his homeland become acute. The phrase “my longing for home is even more intense” underscores his deep emotional state, and the imagery of shedding tears “at the edge of the sky” poignantly captures his isolation and sorrow.
Liu Changqing reflects on his situation with a sense of resignation. Now in his old age, he finds himself in a position of inferiority, a stark contrast to his previous status. The line “even spring seems to rush ahead of me” highlights his feeling of being left behind by the natural progression of time and the changing seasons. This sense of being outpaced by the world around him emphasizes the poet’s personal sense of loss and displacement.
The poem then shifts to a description of Liu Changqing’s current environment in the southern mountains. Here, he finds himself in a lonely and harsh landscape, where his only companions are the monkeys and the willows. The depiction of these natural elements as his only sources of company and comfort further enhances the sense of solitude and alienation that he experiences.
Liu Changqing draws a parallel between his own plight and that of Jia Yi, a historical figure who was demoted to the position of Duke of Changsha. This comparison serves to underscore the poet’s sense of injustice and his feeling of being unfairly treated. By referencing Jia Yi, Liu Changqing connects his personal experiences with a broader historical and literary context, adding depth to his expression of sorrow and frustration.
The final lines of the poem express a deep sense of uncertainty about the future. Liu Changqing wonders how many more years it will take before he can return home, reflecting his yearning for a return to a place of comfort and familiarity. This sense of waiting and longing underscores the emotional weight of the poem, capturing the poet’s profound desire to escape his current circumstances and return to his homeland.