[Poem] YOUNG WANDERER’S SONG (ON CHANG'AN’S ANCIENT ROADS) - A Brief Glimpse into Waning Fellowship and Passing Years

In “Young Wanderer’s Song (On Chang’an’s Ancient Roads),” Liu Yong uses a classic ci tune (少年游) to evoke the melancholic beauty of autumn in and around Chang’an—historically the grand capital of multiple dynasties. Despite its storied splendor, the imagery here focuses on the slowing pace of travel (“horses plod slowly”), the fading light of dusk, and the voices of cicadas, all of which reinforce a sense of time’s steady advance.

Chang’an, once a hub of cultural and political life, becomes a setting where memories of youth and camaraderie feel increasingly remote. The poet points to high willows and plains swept by an autumn breeze—natural elements that often symbolize transition in Chinese poetry. The mention of “drifting clouds” underscores both literal distance (the clouds fade from view) and emotional distance (old friends lost to the vagaries of life).

Toward the end, the poem shifts to a reflective tone. “Where now is the promised reunion?” encapsulates a longing for connections that once felt certain—friends, gatherings, shared ambitions. Yet the poet finds only a few remaining companions, and even these encounters lack the same sparkle. With the phrase “So unlike those youthful times,” Liu Yong captures both nostalgia and an understated acceptance that life’s seasons inevitably bring change.

This gentle mix of longing and resignation is a hallmark of Song ci poetry, as well as a defining characteristic of Liu Yong’s style. His verses combine precise natural imagery with personal sentiment, inviting readers to imagine themselves at dusk, standing on a quiet road, gazing toward the horizons of both earth and memory. Whether recalling the vibrancy of youth or the promise of old friendships, the poem’s gentle sorrow resonates across centuries, reminding us that even the most glorious locales transform—and so do we.