[Poem] WEIFAN (NIGHT RAIN DRIPPING ON THE EMPTY STEPS) - A Glimpse into Midnight Reflections amid Lingering Rain

This ci poem, set to the tune “Weifan” (尾犯), is composed in a style that echoes Liu Yong’s signature themes of late-night solitude, faint memories, and understated heartbreak. Though no historically authenticated poem titled “尾犯(夜雨滴空阶)” by Liu Yong appears in standard anthologies, the lines here illustrate how he might have intertwined gentle imagery, personal loss, and musical cadence under this tune name.

**Night Rain and a Quiet Threshold**
The poem begins with the sound of dripping rain on an empty stone veranda (空阶), suggesting both a physical hush and an emotional distance. In Song Dynasty ci, nighttime settings often magnify introspection; small sounds (like rain tapping) become poignant reminders of separation and wistful recollection.

**Evoking Past Affections**
The speaker mentions a “past dream knocking at the window,” a metaphor for memories that resurface yet remain unreachable. Liu Yong frequently alluded to missed opportunities or ‘芳事’—the sweet affairs of one’s youth—that become inaccessible over time. The poem thus captures the pang of trying to recapture joys that have slipped away.

**Symbolic Details: Lamps and Curtains**
Small, everyday details—like a dim lamp or a half-lowered curtain—function as mirrors of the poet’s interior world. Here, the “thin lamp flame” and “light chill at the curtain” emphasize the speaker’s isolation, hinting at a broader sense of emotional vacancy.

**Longing without Resolution**
The closing lines describe morning’s arrival—dissipating the night’s shadows but not the speaker’s melancholy. The mention of ‘faint mist’ and ‘scattered trees’ steeped in late sunlight underscores how nature continues its ordinary course despite the poet’s private sorrow. This incongruity is a recurring motif in Liu Yong’s work: as day advances, the yearning remains unresolved, leaving the speaker to reflect silently on what cannot be reclaimed.

In sum, “Weifan (Night Rain Dripping on the Empty Steps)” illustrates the subdued, introspective tone characteristic of Liu Yong’s ci. Nature’s smallest sounds and shifts frame the poet’s shifting thoughts, capturing the intangible ache of separation. Although not a verified historical text, it resonates with Liu Yong’s hallmark approach—uniting delicate scenery, hushed emotion, and open-ended yearning into a single melodic reverie.