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河 西 春 暮 忆 秦 中 At Hexi in Late Spring and Remembering Qinzhong 54
渭 北 春 已 老
North of the Wei river 55 Spring is already nearing its end,
河 西 人 未 归
This man in Hexi has yet to return.
边 城 细 草 出
Fine grasses have sprouted up in the frontier town,
客 官 梨 花 飞
Pear blossoms at the guesthouse are flying.
别 后 乡 梦 数
Since leaving I often dream of home,
昨 来 家 信 稀
Letters from home are fewer by the day.
凉 州 三 月 半 In the middle of the third month at Liangzhou, 56
57
犹 未 脱 寒 衣 And still I have yet to take off my winter clothes.
54 Qinzhong 秦 中 refers to Guanzhong 关 a region equivalent to modern day central Shaanxi province. See CSJJZ, p. 90.
Qinzhong also functions as an indirect reference to Chang'an. See Zhang Hui, ed., Cen Shen biansaishixuan, p. 26.
55 North of the Wei river near modern day Xi'an 西 安 . In the poem, the river is also a geographic gesture towards
Chang'an. See Zhang Hui, ed., Cen Shen biansaishixuan, p. 26.
56 A former name of Wuwei commandery 武 威 群 . See Zhang Hui, ed., Cen Shen biansaishixuan, p. 26.
57 CSJJZ, p. 90.