[Poem] QI SHI (LATE AUTUMN SKY) - A Glimpse of Late Autumn’s Lingering Sorrow

This ci poem, composed to the tune named “Qi Shi” (戚氏) and often referred to by the incipit “晚秋天” (Late Autumn Sky), bears the distinctive hallmarks of Liu Yong’s style. Writing during the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Yong was known for his emotionally resonant lyrics, filled with images of changing seasons, distant lovers, and wistful reflection.

In these lines, the poet frames late autumn’s atmosphere through sensory details: the soft, insistent rain drumming on banana leaves, the lengthening night punctuated by chill winds, and the watch-drip (a reference to an ancient timekeeping device) nearly running its course. Through this nocturnal tableau, the poet not only captures the physical landscape but also conveys a deep emotional undercurrent of loneliness.

Banana leaves, often mentioned in Chinese poetry for their broad surfaces that amplify the sound of rain, become a subtle symbol of longing: each raindrop resonates like a reminder of the poet’s inner ache. Meanwhile, falling leaves and silent courtyards mirror the poet’s fading hopes or memories, giving voice to the intangible sense of loss that often defines the transition from autumn to winter.

A hallmark of Liu Yong’s ci is the intimate, confessional tone. Here, he directly addresses the ache of separation and unspoken yearning—“试问相思何处寄？” (I wonder where my longing might find its home?). The warmth of the gilded pillow suggests prior companionship now absent, intensifying the poet’s sense of solitary confinement in his own thoughts.

The poem’s final lines, describing a dimming lamp and tears that silently accompany the speaker’s vigil, evoke the all-too-familiar midnight hour when introspection runs deepest. This interplay of physical darkness and internal longing speaks to one of the Song ci’s core themes: how personal emotions echo changes in time and nature. As the lamp gutters, so does the poet’s sense of reprieve, leaving him alone with unvoiced questions and unquenched desire.

Like much of Liu Yong’s oeuvre, “Qi Shi (Late Autumn Sky)” mingles imagery and song-like cadence to portray the complexities of separation and yearning. The cyclical passing of seasons and the slow fade of night show that every external shift resonates internally, hinting at broader philosophical reflections on impermanence. Above all, the poem’s spare yet evocative language underscores the enduring power of ci poetry to capture delicate, often aching states of mind.