Tune: Pure Serenity II (Yan Shu)
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
金风细细，叶叶梧桐坠。绿酒初尝人易醉，一枕小窗浓睡。
English translation
A fine autumn breeze passes, and paulownia leaves fall one by one. A little of the green-hued wine is enough to bring on drowsiness; beside the small window, the speaker sinks into deep sleep.
Original Chinese text
紫薇朱槿花残，斜阳却照阑干。双燕欲归时节，银屏昨夜微寒。
English translation
The crape myrtle and hibiscus blossoms have faded, though the slanting sun still lights the balustrade. It is the season when paired swallows prepare to leave; last night, a slight chill had already entered beside the silver screen.
词句注释 · Notes
上片 · First stanza
“金风”指秋风，“绿酒”是酒的美称，不必理解为绿色饮料。前片以轻风、落叶和酒后小睡写秋日闲适，也隐约带出时序流转。
“Golden wind” means the autumn breeze, and “green wine” is a poetic name for wine rather than a literal color description. Breeze, falling leaves, and a nap create an unhurried autumn mood while hinting at passing time.
下片 · Second stanza
下片从花残写到燕归与夜寒，秋意逐渐加深。“双燕”与“银屏”共同构成闺中秋景，但词句没有交代具体人物关系，应保留其含蓄。
Faded flowers, departing swallows, and the chill of night deepen the autumn feeling. The paired swallows and screen suggest an intimate interior, but the poem leaves the speaker’s relationship and circumstances unstated.