possibly by Mei Cheng (d. c140 BCE)
Translation by Arthur Waley (1889 - 1969)
Crossing the river I pluck...
Language: English after the Chinese (中文)
Crossing the river I pluck hibiscus-flowers: In the orchid-swamps are many fragrant herbs. I gather them, but who shall I send them to? My love is living in lands far away. I turn and look towards my own country: The long road stretches on for ever. The same heart, yet a different dwelling: Always fretting, till we are grown old!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Arthur Waley, A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, London: Constable, 1918.
Text Authorship:
- by Arthur Waley (1889 - 1969), no title, appears in A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, in Seventeen Old Poems, no. 6 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) possibly by Mei Cheng (d. c140 BCE) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Jacques Durand (1865 - 1928) , copyright © ; composed by Blair Fairchild.
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2025-04-30
Line count: 8
Word count: 60