长歌行(家住苍烟落照间) - 陆游
A Long Song (Dwelling Amid Twilight’s Smoky Hues) - Lu You
Where Twilight Shadows and an Unyielding Heart Converge
【Important Note on Historical Authenticity】
No widely recognized historical record in major anthologies confirms a poem by Lu You (陆游, 1125–1210) that opens with “家住苍烟落照间” under the title “长歌行.” While Lu You did compose poems titled “长歌行,” their precise texts differ from the one suggested by this incipit. The text below is therefore presented as a **representative reconstruction**—an homage reflecting Lu You’s characteristic themes and style, rather than a verified historical source.
【Reconstructed Chinese Text】
长歌行(家住苍烟落照间)
家住苍烟落照间，
门临溪路接云山。
池边老柳知人意，
不放春风过客闲。
一自霜凝梦里戎，
平生志事转尘环。
犹思铁马冰河志，
莫负年华赋此笺。
【Literal English Rendering (Line by Line)】
A Long Song (Dwelling Amid Twilight’s Smoky Hues)
I dwell where twilight’s smoky haze meets the sinking sun;
My gate faces a creek-side path that winds toward the misty hills.
Beside the pond, aged willows seem to heed my heart’s yearning,
They will not let the spring breeze pass me by without stirring.
Ever since frost rimed my martial dreams,
The aspirations of my life have been caught in dusty cycles.
Still I recall the vision of armored horses crossing icy rivers—
Let me not squander these passing days, setting forth my resolve in verse.
No widely recognized historical record in major anthologies confirms a poem by Lu You (陆游, 1125–1210) that opens with “家住苍烟落照间” under the title “长歌行.” While Lu You did compose poems titled “长歌行,” their precise texts differ from the one suggested by this incipit. The text below is therefore presented as a **representative reconstruction**—an homage reflecting Lu You’s characteristic themes and style, rather than a verified historical source.
【Reconstructed Chinese Text】
长歌行(家住苍烟落照间)
家住苍烟落照间，
门临溪路接云山。
池边老柳知人意，
不放春风过客闲。
一自霜凝梦里戎，
平生志事转尘环。
犹思铁马冰河志，
莫负年华赋此笺。
【Literal English Rendering (Line by Line)】
A Long Song (Dwelling Amid Twilight’s Smoky Hues)
I dwell where twilight’s smoky haze meets the sinking sun;
My gate faces a creek-side path that winds toward the misty hills.
Beside the pond, aged willows seem to heed my heart’s yearning,
They will not let the spring breeze pass me by without stirring.
Ever since frost rimed my martial dreams,
The aspirations of my life have been caught in dusty cycles.
Still I recall the vision of armored horses crossing icy rivers—
Let me not squander these passing days, setting forth my resolve in verse.
In this **reconstructed** “A Long Song (Dwelling Amid Twilight’s Smoky Hues),” we envision Lu You in the twilight of his years, residing in a peaceful spot where “smoky haze” merges with “the sinking sun.” While the scene at first appears domestic and serene—a gate opening onto a creek-side path—the poet’s internal landscape brims with memory and desire.
1. **Rural Tranquility and Inner Yearning**
- The opening lines capture a subdued ambiance: low light, soft clouds around distant hills, and aged willows by a pond. Yet the poet’s mention of “not letting the spring breeze pass by” hints that, beneath outward calm, there is a longing for engagement—whether with nature or with lost ambitions.
2. **Threads of Martial Past**
- “Ever since frost rimed my martial dreams” nods to Lu You’s hallmark theme: unfulfilled patriotic zeal. In many of his authentic poems, he laments the unachieved reconquest of northern lands seized by foreign powers.
3. **Iron Horses on Icy Rivers**
- The line recalling “armored horses crossing icy rivers” (an echo of the famous “铁马秋风” or “铁马冰河” from his verified works) underscores how deeply these visions of heroic campaigns remain etched in his psyche, even as time moves on.
4. **Harnessing the Moment**
- “Let me not squander these passing days” reveals the poet’s ongoing resolve. Though physically removed from the front lines, he can still write, reflect, and keep his patriotic spirit alive in verse—a lesser outlet, perhaps, but one that ensures his ideals endure.
This short poem seamlessly blends rustic imagery with resonant longing—hallmarks of Lu You’s authentic style. Even in a tranquil setting, the poet’s mind roams toward past or imagined battlefields, reaffirming his conviction that life’s meaning lies in upholding greater ideals, despite the slow drift of days.
Key points
• Depicts a peaceful, rural abode at twilight—contrasted with the poet’s restless inner world.
• Alludes to martial aspirations (“armored horses on icy rivers”) that remain unfulfilled.
• Balances a contemplative present (aged willows, passing breeze) with recollections of duty and patriotic purpose.
• Serves as a **creative homage**, illustrating how Lu You might have mingled domestic quietude with enduring zeal in a poem under the “长歌行” rubric.
Comments
CometRangeIn a middle commentary, one might recall Lu You’s own patriotic-tinged poems such as ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰),’ which harness illusions undone for a greater cause. Both revolve around parted hopes overshadowing sorrow, but ‘长歌行(家住苍烟落照间)’ situates heartbreak in a quieter domestic hush, forging a vow that sorrow need not roar—a contrast to the more fervent calls in his patriotic verses.
Wild Jade Cat DenMiddle note: illusions soared under wide ambitions, overshadowed now by heartbreak that hums quietly in daily tasks—like gathering firewood or watching dusk fall. The vow stands for sorrow’s subdued presence, overshadowing illusions with mild acceptance.
ChromeTigeSometimes it resonates with how certain modern workers choose to relocate from bustling cities to quiet countryside, illusions overshadowed by a vow to rediscover simpler joys. The poem’s hush-laden heartbreak parallels that sense of parted ambitions receding into the calm hush of rural sunsets.
Tiny Lime Ant HillSometimes it reminds one of minimalistic-living vloggers showcasing orchard chores at sunset, illusions overshadowed by hush-laden acceptance that parted hopes can softly persist in the routine hush of rural life.
Crimson EagleA gentle hush glides through each line, as though parted hopes linger quietly among distant, dusk-lit expanses.
Mighty Gold EagleShort but vivid: each verse frames illusions undone, overshadowing heartbreak with a vow of subdued resolve—no raging tears, just the hush of rolling fields at dusk.
Emerald LaserAnother nowaday reflection: certain families who left big cities for farmland find illusions overshadowed by practical realities. The poem’s hush-laden heartbreak parallels that intangible vow to accept parted aspirations, forging a new path shaped by calm chores and quiet twilight.
Lone Gray Bat CaveShort reflection: illusions once soared, overshadowing heartbreak that now unfolds in the hush of a far-flung homestead, forging a vow of calm acceptance rather than fierce lament.
CyberFalcoA middle reflection: illusions soared in youth, overshadowed now by heartbreak that merges into a hush-laden vow of resilience under wide, dusky skies. No dramatic meltdown, only a mild acceptance of parted hopes guiding the poet’s daily tasks.
TempestWinA short observation: illusions once bright overshadow heartbreak amid a vow of calm reflection, forging acceptance that parted hopes linger gently in hushed corners of an unassuming homestead.
Dark KnightAnother nowaday incident emerges when rural influencers share serene videos of remote farmland life, illusions overshadowed by daily realities of labor. The poem’s hush-laden heartbreak echoes that intangible vow: parted hopes can persist gently, overshadowed by calm chores and far horizons instead of tears.
Furious StingrayShort commentary: illusions parted overshadow heartbreak in mild hush, forging a vow that sorrow can linger gently among fields tinted with the last rays—no outcry, just quiet resolve.
Neon VelocityUltimately, the poem stitches heartbreak to illusions undone in a hush-laden vow, overshadowing sorrow with mild rural tasks. No fierce lament, only illusions quietly receding into the poet’s subdued worldview—like faint echoes carried on dusk’s gentle wind, forging a vow that heartbreak remains, overshadowed yet still a silent, guiding chord in each day’s close.
Swift Green Dog PitLong commentary: in ‘长歌行(家住苍烟落照间),’ illusions overshadow heartbreak through the hush of a distant, low-lit homestead. Where some of Lu You’s fiercer poems unify heartbreak with stormy patriotism, here parted hopes settle into a subdued vow—like heartbreak softens in the mild glow of daily chores and expansive twilight. This hush-laden acceptance reveals illusions undone yet never violently lamented, forging empathy for a poet who finds quiet dignity in parted hopes. The scene resonates with a universal truth: illusions once soared beyond the horizon, overshadowed by the hush of twilight tasks. The vow stands unspoken yet firm: heartbreak remains present but overshadowed by the hum of rural routine and subdued recollection, upholding a calm synergy between memory and day-to-day living. In that hush, sorrow abides without dominating, testifying to parted illusions that still shape the poet’s gentle worldview.
