<p>李白 sets the scene: 长安一片月，万户捣衣声。 Then, the women working the cloth narrate.</p>
<p>良人：古时妇女对丈夫的称呼</p>
<p>《子夜吴歌·秋歌》</p>
<p>长安一片月<br />
秋月皎洁长安城一片光明，<br />
(The) autumn moon makes西安市 a sea of light,</p>
<p>万户捣衣声<br />
家家户户传来捣衣的声音。<br />
(The) pounding of cloth can be heard from every household.</p>
<p>秋风吹不尽，<br />
砧声任凭秋风吹也吹不尽，<br />
No matter how hard the autumn wind blows down it cannot blow away the beating sound,</p>
<p>总是玉关情。<br />
声声总是牵系玉关的亲人。<br />
every sound reminds us of relatives in 玉关</p>
<p>何日平胡虏，<br />
何时才能平息边境战争，<br />
when will the border struggles be quelled?</p>
<p>良人罢远征。<br />
夫君就可以结束漫长征途。<br />
(When can my) husband then can end this endless expedition</p>
<p>捣衣声说明妇女们正在为戍边亲人作赶制征衣的准备<br />
捣衣声 indicates the women are hurriedly preparing uniforms for relatives leaving to guard the border</p>
<p>(古时裁衣前必先将布帛捣平捣软)，<br />
(In ancient times, before cutting cloth, one had to beat it flat and soft),</p>
<p>其本身就包含着深厚的关切、思念之情；<br />
it (捣衣声) in itself contains profound concern and longing;</p>
<p>而秋风则最易逗起人的情思和愁绪。<br />
and the autumn wind easily plays upon ones emotions and melancholy.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Broken Hearted</p>
<p>When the wind blows down this hard<br />
Many a bond is broken<br />
See the water lie on the ground<br />
From where the heavens opened</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-19T17:25:53.627Z
2024-11-19T17:25:53.627Z
Pedroski
<p>There are always a narrator. It seem the <strong>narrative identity</strong> in this poem is optional, so both versions you provide are acceptable. I prefer the version of the first person narrator / the lover of 良人, because the poem name includes 子夜歌 (see answers from @r13 and @Pedroski).</p>
<p>One can also regard Li Bai intentially <strong>leaving blank</strong> for artistic purposes. A bit of overthinking maybe?</p>
<p>Leaving blank is common in Chinese art as &quot;thinking guidance&quot; to the reader / audience. This technique is used to build imagination and imply additional meaning. <strong>As the woman</strong>, who has been leaving alone for a long time, &quot;I&quot; shall pray for my 良人 to return soon. <strong>As Li Bai</strong>, who has political ambitions but hasn't been granted yet, &quot;I&quot; shall hope the war to be ended soon (if under my governance).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-20T04:57:35.360Z
2024-11-20T04:57:35.360Z
zrsammy
<p><strong>《子夜吴歌·秋歌》</strong>- &quot;子夜吴歌&quot;系六朝乐府中的吴声歌曲。相传是晋代一名叫子夜的女子创制，多写哀怨眷恋之情，分春、夏、秋、冬四季。李白借鉴创新依格作了四首，此首属秋歌。</p>
<p>The main themes and characters in 李白's 子夜吴歌 are:</p>
<ul>
<li>春歌写&quot;<strong>罗敷</strong>&quot;采桑，夏歌写&quot;<strong>西施</strong>&quot;采莲，秋歌写&quot;<strong>思妇</strong>&quot;月下捣衣，冬歌写&quot;<strong>思妇</strong>&quot;寒夜絮袍。</li>
</ul>
<p>Note that, unlike 春 and 夏, 李白 hadn't identified who the &quot;思妇(思念夫婿的女子) was in poems for 秋 and 冬. My personal feeling is that he delivered/described a woman's longing for her faraway husband using her voice, however, it can be generalized to include all women who were in the same situation at the ancient warring time.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.163.com/dy/article/J2MSV7PU055661D4.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.163.com/dy/article/J2MSV7PU055661D4.html</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-20T00:00:36.697Z
2024-11-20T00:00:36.697Z
r13
<p>In this poem by 李白:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>《子夜吴歌·秋歌》</strong></p>
<p>长安一片月,</p>
<p>万户捣衣声。</p>
<p>秋风吹不尽,</p>
<p>总是玉关情。</p>
<p>何日平胡虏,</p>
<p>良人罢远征。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't really see a <em>narrator</em>.</p>
<p>Therefore, I think that the poem could be intended in a <em>generalized, descriptive way</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>...
thoughts are always directed to Yumen Pass.
When will be peace with the Uh population
and our men can come back from war?
(the poet is speaking)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It could also be thought as the inner reflection of a woman, according to the 子夜歌 style, forcing the 1st person &quot;I&quot; as a narrator:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>...
my thoughts are always directed to Yumen Pass.
When will be peace with the Uh population
and my beloved can come back from war?
(a wife is speaking)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>May both (or none) versions be acceptable?</p>

<poetry>
About 李白's 《子夜吴歌·秋歌》: narrator and 子夜歌 style
# About 李白's 《子夜吴歌·秋歌》: narrator and 子夜歌 style

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-19)

In this poem by 李白:

> **《子夜吴歌·秋歌》**
>
> 长安一片月,
>
> 万户捣衣声。
>
> 秋风吹不尽,
>
> 总是玉关情。
>
> 何日平胡虏,
>
> 良人罢远征。

I don't really see a *narrator*.

Therefore, I think that the poem could be intended in a *generalized, descriptive way*:

> ...
> thoughts are always directed to Yumen Pass.
> When will be peace with the Uh population
> and our men can come back from war?
> (the poet is speaking)

It could also be thought as the inner reflection of a woman, according to the 子夜歌 style, forcing the 1st person "I" as a narrator:

> ...
> my thoughts are always directed to Yumen Pass.
> When will be peace with the Uh population
> and my beloved can come back from war?
> (a wife is speaking)

May both (or none) versions be acceptable?

**Tags:** poetry


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-11-19. Score: 1

李白 sets the scene: 长安一片月，万户捣衣声。 Then, the women working the cloth narrate.

良人：古时妇女对丈夫的称呼

《子夜吴歌·秋歌》

长安一片月  
秋月皎洁长安城一片光明，  
(The) autumn moon makes西安市 a sea of light,

万户捣衣声  
家家户户传来捣衣的声音。  
(The) pounding of cloth can be heard from every household.

秋风吹不尽，  
砧声任凭秋风吹也吹不尽，  
No matter how hard the autumn wind blows down it cannot blow away the beating sound,

总是玉关情。  
声声总是牵系玉关的亲人。  
every sound reminds us of relatives in 玉关

何日平胡虏，  
何时才能平息边境战争，  
when will the border struggles be quelled?

良人罢远征。  
夫君就可以结束漫长征途。  
(When can my) husband then can end this endless expedition

捣衣声说明妇女们正在为戍边亲人作赶制征衣的准备  
捣衣声 indicates the women are hurriedly preparing uniforms for relatives leaving to guard the border

(古时裁衣前必先将布帛捣平捣软)，  
(In ancient times, before cutting cloth, one had to beat it flat and soft),

其本身就包含着深厚的关切、思念之情；  
it (捣衣声) in itself contains profound concern and longing;

而秋风则最易逗起人的情思和愁绪。  
and the autumn wind easily plays upon ones emotions and melancholy.

> Broken Hearted
>
> When the wind blows down this hard  
> Many a bond is broken  
> See the water lie on the ground  
> From where the heavens opened


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-11-20. Score: 1

There are always a narrator. It seem the **narrative identity** in this poem is optional, so both versions you provide are acceptable. I prefer the version of the first person narrator / the lover of 良人, because the poem name includes 子夜歌 (see answers from @username_3 and @username_1).

One can also regard Li Bai intentially **leaving blank** for artistic purposes. A bit of overthinking maybe?

Leaving blank is common in Chinese art as "thinking guidance" to the reader / audience. This technique is used to build imagination and imply additional meaning. **As the woman**, who has been leaving alone for a long time, "I" shall pray for my 良人 to return soon. **As Li Bai**, who has political ambitions but hasn't been granted yet, "I" shall hope the war to be ended soon (if under my governance).


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-11-20. Score: 1

**《子夜吴歌·秋歌》**- "子夜吴歌"系六朝乐府中的吴声歌曲。相传是晋代一名叫子夜的女子创制，多写哀怨眷恋之情，分春、夏、秋、冬四季。李白借鉴创新依格作了四首，此首属秋歌。

The main themes and characters in 李白's 子夜吴歌 are:

* 春歌写"**罗敷**"采桑，夏歌写"**西施**"采莲，秋歌写"**思妇**"月下捣衣，冬歌写"**思妇**"寒夜絮袍。

Note that, unlike 春 and 夏, 李白 hadn't identified who the "思妇(思念夫婿的女子) was in poems for 秋 and 冬. My personal feeling is that he delivered/described a woman's longing for her faraway husband using her voice, however, it can be generalized to include all women who were in the same situation at the ancient warring time.

<https://www.163.com/dy/article/J2MSV7PU055661D4.html>


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