An ancient poem sent by rain to the north with pinyin

An ancient poem written by Ye Yu to the North with pinyin:

jūnwènguīqīwèiyǒuqī, bāshānyèyǔzhǎngqiūchí.

You asked about the return date but it has not yet been announced. The night rain in Bashan swelled the autumn pond.

hédānggòngjiǎnxīchuāngzhú, quèhuàbāshānyèyǔshí.

Why should I cut off the candles from the west window and talk about the rainy night in Bashan?

Translation: You ask me when I will go back, but I haven’t set a date yet. At this moment, the night rain in Bashan is pouring down, and the rainwater has filled the autumn river ponds. When will I be able to return to my hometown and have a heart-to-heart talk while cutting candles under the west window? Then I will tell you how lonely I am as a guest in Bashan tonight and listen to the continuous rain at night, and how much I miss you!

Appreciation

The word "Qi" is seen twice, and one is for his wife's question, and the other is for his answer; his wife's question urges him to return early, and his answer laments that his return date is uncertain. "Bashan Night Rain" reappears, and one is the real scene of the guest, closely following his own answer; the other is talking about helping after returning, and answering his wife's questions from afar. And with "what should be" in between, it connects the past and the future, turns reality into fiction, and opens up an imaginary realm, making the loops and contrasts of time and space merge seamlessly.

In modern poetry, it is generally necessary to avoid literal repetition, but this poem deliberately breaks the convention. The two occurrences of the word "Qi", especially the reappearance of "Bashan Night Rain", just constitute the perfect combination of tone and composition. The wonder of looping back and forth accurately expresses the beauty of the artistic conception of time and space looping back and forth, achieving the perfect combination of content and form.