Li Shangyin (c. 813–c. 858) Tang Dynasty

锦瑟无端五十弦，一弦一柱思华年。
庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶，望帝春心托杜鹃。
沧海月明珠有泪，蓝田日暖玉生烟。
此情可待成追忆，只是当时已惘然

The brocade zither has fifty strings, no less,
each string and pillar brings youth to mind.

Zhuangzi at dawn dreamt of wandering butterflies.
King Wang committed his passion to the crying cuckoo.

A bright moon shines over the vast sea, weeping pearls,
the sun warms Lantian's jade green haze.

Each emotion can be cherished as a memory,
in just that moment, already gone.

I fooled around with this interpretation. I read other interpretations. It's very subjective. I liked the character of Li Shangyin, in and out of favor at court, as the scholar was. The first line is an exaggeration. I never heard of a 50 string. The historical/literary references made the poem's meaning obscure. There are interpretations on Baidu. I was interested because I like the gayageum, a Korean version of the Chinese Xither very much.

I like guqin too. This is guqin:

I've been listening to gayageum for a few years because I find it relaxing. I was going through the channel of "Ayageum" the young Korean lady who plays live. often streaming on google. Sometimes her singing is a little rough, but her music is just right I think. I went through a bunch of her tunes (all covers) to find this better example of her work. I wanted to post this, but put it off until I felt I understood the song. Someone said it had been put on the Mr. Sunshine OST, I didn't know. They described the style as traditional pop fusion.

심규선 화조도 花鳥圖 가사 Lucia

Sim Gyu-seon's Flower and Bird Painting, Lyrics: Lucia

Between the lattices, the weeping willows
trembling, trembling
Late into night, a woman, unable to sleep,
Under the song's spell, she weeps.

As she ties her sleeves,
embroidered with delicate flower patterns
The childish girl
prayed for the coming of her love.

How can you tell me to forget?
If you simply tell me to forget
That shining moment
Do you think it will be completely forgotten?

The voice that called me
Now left and gone
My love, who flew away like a bird

Carried on my mother's back
I learned the meaning of the verses I heard
The song that women sang to girls
The flowers sang to birds

Do not seek love from someone who does not love you
Some people until the moment of their death
do not know love, Ahhh

The fog etches its blue jade
On the eaves
Outside the back door,
My sleepless sister
Sings a song of fallen leaves

The silk waves follow the moon
As I wander all the world,
My sister, became a picture there.

How can you tell me to forget?
That one brief moment,
If you say just forget it all,
Do you think that will erase my memory?

The outstretched hand that touched me
Now nowhere to be found,
My beloved fluttered away like a bird,

While embraced in the arms of the beloved who left,
I learned the meaning of the melody I heard
The song that men sing to girls,
The song that birds sing to the flower.

To those who have already turned away,
Do not sing of love.
Some people,
Even until the moment of death,

To those who do not love you,
Do not sing of love.
Some people,
Until the moment life ends,
Do not know love, aaah...

I'll end this with an old short Chinese poem that I like because I recognized the Mandarin ducks from a similar Korean custom of keeping a pair of wooden carved ducks in the home as a symbol of fidelity.

She's like flowers
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu (11th Century Song Dynasty)
《长相思》

She's like the flowers

She's like the willows

Flowers, willows, green spring farewell.

Bowing my head, tears stream down.

East of the Yangtze.

West of the Yangtze.

A pair of Mandarin ducks fly from the river's banks, away from each other.

Who knows when they will meet again?