秋夕
Autumn Evening
Original
银烛秋光冷画屏，
轻罗小扇扑流萤。
天阶夜色凉如水，
卧看牵牛织女星。
Translation
Silver candles cast cold glow on the painted screen in autumn light
A thin silk fan swats at flitting fireflies
The palace steps are cool as water in the night
She lies watching the Cowherd and Weaver Stars
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
"Autumn Evening" paints a quiet, melancholic portrait of an imperial palace woman’s lonely night in late Tang China. Bathed in the cold glow of silver candles and autumn light, she uses a silk fan to swat fireflies before lying down to gaze at the distant Cowherd and Weaver Stars. Written amid the late Tang’s political decline and social unrest, the poem subtly critiques the systemic neglect of palace concubines, whose youth and affection are often discarded as easily as the out-of-season fan. The cool sensory details—cold candlelight, stone steps like water—amplify her isolation, while the star-crossed lovers myth mirrors her unfulfilled longing. The work blends gentle imagery with profound sympathy, capturing the quiet sorrow of lives trapped in courtly constraints.
About the Poet
杜牧
Dù Mù
Du Mu (803–852) was one of the most distinguished poets of the late Tang Dynasty. A versatile scholar and official, he was renowned for his incisive social critiques, lyrical historical reflections, and elegant depictions of everyday moments. Beyond poetry, he wrote political essays advocating for reform, driven by his concern for the declining imperial authority of his time. His poetic style balances refined language with deep insight, often using subtle allusions to convey nuanced emotional and political messages.
Cultural & Historical Context
Historical Background: The late Tang Dynasty (9th century) was a period of political decline, marked by rampant corruption, regional warlord uprisings, and weakening central imperial authority, leading to widespread social instability. Cultural Background: The Cowherd and Weaver Stars (Qianniu and Zhinü) are central to ancient Chinese folklore, representing a couple separated by the Milky Way who can only meet annually on the Qixi Festival; this myth became a powerful symbol of unfulfilled love and longing in traditional Chinese literature. Social Background: Imperial palace concubines, chosen for their youth and beauty, occupied a precarious position in court hierarchy. Most lived in isolation, their lives dictated by the emperor’s fleeting favor, with little hope of escaping the constraints of the palace. Personal Experience: Du Mu held several official positions in the Tang court, giving him direct insight into the decadence and neglect of marginalized groups like palace women, which inspired his empathetic portrayals. Creative Purpose & Artistic Features: The poem seeks to illuminate the quiet suffering of palace women through subtle, sensory imagery. It uses symbolic objects—such as the silk fan, a traditional metaphor for discarded affection—and gentle, everyday actions to convey profound loneliness, avoiding direct critique. Its artistic strength lies in blending elegant, vivid details with understated social commentary, a hallmark of Du Mu’s poetic style that balances beauty with depth.