Eternal Encounter (When the Setting Sun Melts into Gold) - Li Qingzhao
/永遇乐(落日熔金) - 李清照/
Where Twilight Splendor and Midnight Echoes Merge
【Original Chinese】
永遇乐(落日熔金)
落日熔金，暮云合璧，人在何处？
染柳烟浓，吹梅笛怨，春意知几许？
元夜时，月与灯依旧，
不见去年人，泪湿春衫袖。
【Literal English Translation (Line by Line)】
The setting sun melts into gold; evening clouds fuse like emerald jade—yet where is that someone?
Willows, dyed in misty haze, and the plaintive notes of a plum-blossom flute—how much of spring can truly be felt?
During the Lantern Festival, the moon and lanterns remain unchanged;
But last year’s companions are nowhere to be found—tears soak the sleeves of my spring robe.
永遇乐(落日熔金)
落日熔金，暮云合璧，人在何处？
染柳烟浓，吹梅笛怨，春意知几许？
元夜时，月与灯依旧，
不见去年人，泪湿春衫袖。
【Literal English Translation (Line by Line)】
The setting sun melts into gold; evening clouds fuse like emerald jade—yet where is that someone?
Willows, dyed in misty haze, and the plaintive notes of a plum-blossom flute—how much of spring can truly be felt?
During the Lantern Festival, the moon and lanterns remain unchanged;
But last year’s companions are nowhere to be found—tears soak the sleeves of my spring robe.
“Eternal Encounter (When the Setting Sun Melts into Gold)” is among the most famous ci poems by Li Qingzhao, reflecting her keen sense of beauty tinged with passing sorrow. Composed to the tune “Yong Yu Le” (永遇乐), the poem captures a vivid moment of transition from dusk into night during the Lantern Festival (元宵节), traditionally an evening of celebration and reunions.
In the opening lines, Li Qingzhao sets a scene saturated with color and wonder: the sunset liquefies into molten gold, and evening clouds appear flawlessly joined—a grand backdrop. However, this visual splendor only amplifies the poet’s question: “Where is that person?” Even as nature stages a magnificent display, the absence of a beloved or dear friend weighs heavily.
She continues by noting the willows, suffused in lingering mist (染柳烟浓), and a sorrowful tune played on a flute fashioned from plum wood (吹梅笛怨). Both images are classic symbols of spring’s arrival but also carry a subtle note of lament. The poet wonders how much of the season’s renewal she can actually embrace when her heart remains unsettled by separation or loss.
The Lantern Festival references in the third and fourth lines heighten the contrast between past joy and the present moment. Lanterns and moonlight, symbolic of communal cheer, stand as they did last year, yet the people who once shared that revelry are missing. The starkness of this realization crystallizes in tears soaking her garment, underscoring how external festivities can feel hollow when vital companionship is lost.
Structurally, the poem compresses a sweep of emotional intensity into just a few lines, balancing vibrant imagery of the sky, horizon, and city lights with an inner narrative of longing. Li Qingzhao’s hallmark is evident: her capacity to portray outer splendor that paradoxically reveals inner solitude. As with many of her works, “Eternal Encounter (When the Setting Sun Melts into Gold)” resonates because it fuses the natural spectacle and holiday grandeur with a poignant personal reflection—showing that no matter how beautiful the surroundings, they cannot console a heart that yearns for what has passed away.
Key points
• Showcases Li Qingzhao’s skill in juxtaposing grand, colorful evening skies with personal longing.
• Uses familiar spring and festival motifs (willows, flutes, lanterns) to underscore the gap between outer festivity and inner sorrow.
• Highlights how cherished traditions can turn bittersweet when loved ones are absent.
• Demonstrates the ci form’s ability to weave fleeting visual impressions into powerful emotional expression.