Cold Dew

A gentle cool wind begins to stir, while cold dew falls in a bleak and chill stillness. The orchids have faded, their flowers beginning to turn white; the lotus leaves are torn and withered, yet still retain their green. A crane stands alone upon the sand, while two fireflies fly together, their light reflected upon the water. In such a desolate scene, I happen to find myself just waking from wine.

Bai Juyi sets this poem against the season of Cold Dew and writes of the desolation of an autumn pond. “袅袅凉风动” captures the gentle movement of the cool wind, while “凄凄寒露零” conveys both the tactile chill and the sight of cold dew falling. The second couplet, “兰衰花始白”, describes orchids declining as their flowers begin to pale, while “荷破叶犹青” writes lotus leaves already damaged and torn yet still retaining their green. White and green together reveal a landscape in which decline and vitality coexist. “独立栖沙鹤” presents the solitary posture of a crane standing on the sand, while “双飞照水萤” depicts two fireflies flying together, casting light upon the water. One stands alone while two fly together; one is still and the other in motion, creating tension within the scene. The final couplet, “若为寥落境，仍值酒初醒”, brings the poem inward: such a desolate landscape is encountered at precisely the moment when intoxication has begun to fade, leaving the poet fully awake to its bleakness. Through dense images of cool wind, cold dew, fading orchids, broken lotus leaves, a solitary crane, and paired fireflies, the poem builds an atmosphere of autumnal cold and silence, then closes with “酒初醒”, merging physical coldness with emotional chill.