A Spring Night in Luoyang, Hearing a Flute - Li Bai
/春夜洛城闻笛 - 李白/
A Flute’s Stirring Song That Awakens Nostalgia
誰家玉笛暗飛聲，
Which house’s jade flute softly glides its tune,
散入春風滿洛城。
Spread by the spring breeze throughout Luoyang’s streets.
此夜曲中聞折柳，
Tonight, as the tune drifts, we hear “Willows Broken,”
何人不起故園情。
Who among us can avoid longing for our homeland?
Written by the renowned poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty, this poem captures the wistful feelings evoked by hearing a flute’s melody carried on a gentle spring breeze through the ancient city of Luoyang. The poem’s first line highlights the mystery of the flute’s distant sound, as if it belongs to an unknown household yet manages to permeate the night air. Its soft notes fill the city, uniting everyone within an atmosphere of shared sentiment and longing.
Li Bai then references “Willows Broken,” a traditional tune associated with parting and separation, which intensifies the poem’s essence of homesickness and memory. The poet underscores that any listener, upon hearing the flute in the stillness of evening, would naturally be transported to cherished memories of home and loved ones far away.
Through vivid imagery and the interplay of sound and emotion, the poem masterfully conveys a universal sense of nostalgia—one that transcends time and place. By focusing on the resonance of the flute’s music, Li Bai affirms that certain melodies can transcend daily life, evoking longing, tenderness, and reflection in all who hear them.
Key points
• Music can unite people through shared emotions.
• Familiar melodies often stir memories of home and loved ones.
• Li Bai’s poetry highlights the harmony of nature and human sentiment.
• Subtle sounds can evoke profound nostalgia and reflection.