15 Famous Chinese Love Poems to Express Your Love and Longing

December 5

chinese love poems

Chinese poetry occupies an important position in Chinese culture, whether it is Tang poetry or modern poetry, a large number of Chinese love poems are spread among the people.

The best part?

I’m going to show you the poems: Simplified Chinese, In Pinyin, English Translation, Calligraphy and Classic Love Quotes.

Hope you like these ancient and modern Chinese love poems:

1. To a Faithless Husband《白头吟》By Zhuo Wenjun(Han Dynasty)

Chinese Love poem zhuo-wenjun

"To a Faithless Husband"

Plain as snow on the hill, Clear as moon among the clouds.

Is your change of heart, they tell me, And so I've come to bid you good-bye.

Today we've drunk a measure of wine, Tomorrow we must part by the canal.

I shall walk beside the royal canal, Whose waters flow east and are gone.

And wonder if my grief will ever end, No girl need cry when she's married.

If her husband is a single-hearted man, Who will not leave her till her hair is white.

Pliant the bamboo fishing rod, Wet, wet, the tail of the fish.

A man who valued constancy, Would set no store by money!

Chinese-Love-poems-To-a-Faithless-Husband Pin yin

Pinyin - To a Faithless Husband

Translation

On the mountains the snow sheens white; Amid the clouds the moon shines bright.

I hear you have a fickle heart; So I’ve come to declare we’ll part.

Today the banquet we attend; Tomorrow we’ll part by the moat end.

I linger by the moat tiptoe; The two dikes separately flow.

O sigh, sigh and another sigh; For a mismatch one should not cry.

May a faithful man come I pray; So that until old we can stay.

How slender the rod of bamboo; How live the fish flops to and fro.

To words and deeds men should be true; In marriage what can money do?

This poem expresses the heroine's grief and anger at losing love and her desire for true love, as well as her affirming and sincere attitude towards love, and condemning the behavior of liking the new and disgusting the old.

Classic Love Quotes

Chinese-Love-poems-To-a-Faithless-Husband-Love-quote

Calligraphy

2. Cai Ge《采葛》By Wang Feng

Famous Chinese-love-poems-cai-ge

"Cai Ge"

There she is gathering the dolichos! A day without seeing her, Is like three months!

There is gathering the oxtail-southern-wood! A day without seeing her, Is like three seasons! 

There she is gathering the mugwort! A day without seeing her, Is like three years!

cai ge pin yin

Pinyin - Cai Ge 

This is a Chinese love poem missing the lover.

The poet uses exaggeration to describe psychological activities, which is very distinctive.

Calligraphy

Chinese Poem Cai-ge-Calligraphy

3. Butterflies in Love with Flowers蝶恋花》by Liu Yong(Song Dynasty)

Famous Chinese love poems Butterflies in Love with Flowers

"Butterflies in Love with Flowers"

In a light breeze I lean alone on railings of a tower high, I see the spring shrouded in sorrow against overcast sky.

Till green grass turns blurry during sunset, I draw no attention from anyone passed me by.

I want to drink and sing to stop feeling blue,
But the wine is tasteless and the song has nothing new.

My clothes feel looser with no regrets,
Because I pine away only for special you.

Chinese love poem Butterflies in Love with Flowers

 Chinese - Butterflies in Love with Flowers

At the beginning, he wrote about the endless sorrow of separation caused by climbing mountains and looking forward.

Later, he was determined to drink and sing for the sake of relieving the sorrow of separation.

Finally, he wrote the missing emotion in his heart and swore that he was willing to be emaciated and haggard for missing the right person.

Classic Love Quotes

Chinese-love-poems-Butterflies-in-Love-with-Flowers-Love-quotes

4. Beating the Drum邶风·击鼓》(Zhou Dynasty)

famous Chinese-love-poems-Beating-the-Drum

"Beating the Drum"

The drums are booming out; We're busy all about,
Building walls high and low. Alone I southward go.

I follow Sun Zizhong, To fight with Chen and Song.
I cannot homeward go; My heart is full of woe.

Where stops and stays our force? I've lost my battle horse.
O where can it be found? It's buried underground.

"Meet or part, live or die, We've made oath, you and I.
Give me your hand I'll hold, And live with me till old!"

With my wife I've long parted. Can I live broken-hearted?
Alas! the oath we swore, Can be fulfilled no more.

Beating the Drum Pin yin

 Pinyin - Beating the Drum

It is a typical war poem, a homesickness song sung by a soldier who has been expedition to a foreign country and cannot return home for a long time.

Classic Love Quotes

Chinese love poems Beating the Drum Love quote

Calligraphy

Poem Beating the Drum Calligraphy

5. Immortals at the Magpie Bridge鹊桥仙》By Qin Guan(Northern Song Dynasty)

Among all the Chinese love poems, this one ranks first in my heart.

Chinese Love Poem Immortals at the Magpie Bridge

"Immortals at the Magpie Bridge"

A Clouds float like works of art;
Stars shoot with grief at heart.
Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.

When autumn's Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade,
All the love scenes on earth, however many, fade.

Their tender love flows like a stream;
This happy date seems but a dream.
Can they bear a separate homeward way?

If love between both sides can last for aye,
Why need they stay together night and day?

Immortals at the Magpie Bridge Pinyin

Pinyin - Immortals at the Magpie Bridge

Through the mythical story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv's joys and sorrows, sincere, delicate, pure, and loyal love is expressed.

In the story, they were separated by the galaxy and they can meet each other only once every year.

Classic Love Quotes

Chinese Love Poems Immortals at the Magpie Bridge Love Quotes

Calligraphy

Poem Immortals at the Magpie Bridge Calligraphy

6. Yearning三五七言》By Li Bai(Tang Dynasty)

Li Bai is the most unique and greatest romantic poet after Qu Yuan

Almost all Chinese people have read his various poems.

famous Chinese love poems Yearning

"Yearning"

Fresh autumn breeze, Bright autumn moon.

Fallen leaves gather and scatter around the trees; Cold-stricken crows soon fall asleep and wake as soon.

I long for you. When can I see your longing look? How can I bear this lonely night, this lonely nook?

Yearning Pin yin

 Pinyin - Yearning

This poem expresses the mental distress of a woman living alone without a companion.

7. Feng Qiu Huang凤求凰》By Sima Xiangru(Han Dynasty)

Chinese Love poems Feng Qiu huang si ma xiang ru
Chinese Love poems Feng Qiu huang

This is a poem written by Sima Xiangru for the courtship of Zhuo Wenjun.

8. On Parting, Five Poems (4th)离思五首·其四》By Yuan Zhen(Tang Dynasty)

Chinese Love poems On Parting

"On Parting"

Having been in the seas makes it hard to be water, Except for Wushan, no cloud is ever cloud.

Strolling through flowers and not bothering to look twice, Partly due to my Taoist culture and partly to you.

On Parting Five Poems Pin yin

Pinyin - On Parting

The relationship between husband and wife is like the water of the sea and the cloud of Wushan. Its depth and beauty are unparalleled in the world.

Therefore, apart from a beloved wife, there is no woman who can make oneself emotional.

9. Beauty Yu虞美人》By Nalan Xingde (Qing Dynasty)

Chinese love poem Beauty Yu
Chinese Love poems Beauty Yu

At the time of writing this poem, Nalan's wife, Lu Shi, had passed away for many years. The poet recalled the scene of falling in love with his wife and wrote this to ease his lovesickness.

"凄凉别后两应同,最是不胜清怨月明中", The meaning of the word changed abruptly, and it was revealed that this was the beauty in the memory, but now it is desolate after farewell.

10. Reply of a Chaste Wife节妇吟》By Zhang Ji(Tang Dynasty)

Chinese Love poems Reply of a Chaste Wife
Reply of a Chaste Wife English

Poetry has a double-sided connotation.

On the literal level, it describes a wife who is loyal to her husband. After ideological struggle, she finally rejected the pursuit of a passionate man and kept her virginity;

On the level of metaphor, it expresses the poet's determination to be loyal to the court and not to be attracted by high officials.

These are modern Chinese love poems:

11. By Chance 偶然 By Xu Zhimo(Modern Chinese Love Poems)

Modern Chinese Love poems by Chance

"By Chance"

I am a cloud in the sky,

casting random shadow in your mind;

you need not startle,

nor take delight,

for I'd forthwith vanish out of your sight.

You and I met at sea in the darkness of night,

you have your destination, I have mine.

Maybe you remember,

though it'd be best if you could forget,

we glowed as our paths crossed and brightly shined.

When the poet Xu Zhimo met Lin Huiyin when he was in London, he ignited the fire of love and inspired his poems, and he created this masterpiece with a single wave.

This poem is not just a simple love poem, it also contains a sigh of life.

12. To The Oak 致橡树 By Shu Ting

Modern Chinese Love poem To The Oak

"To The Oak"

If I love you ——

I won't wind upon you like a trumpet creeper, 

upvalue myself by your height.

If I love you ——

I will never follow a spoony bird,

repeating the monotune song for the green shade.

Not only like a springhead,

brings you clean coolness whole year long.

Not only like a steepy peak,

enhances your height, sets off your straightness.

Even sunshine,

and spring rain.

No, all these are not enough!

I must be a ceiba by your side,

as a tree standing together with you.

Our roots melt underneath,

our leaves merge in clouds.

When wind breezes,

we greet each other.

But no one,

can understand our peculiar words.

You have your strong stem and branches,

like knives and swords,

and like halberds.

I have my red ample flowers,

like heavy sighs,

and heroic torches as well.

We partake cold tide,thunder storm, firebolt,

together we share brume, flowing mist, rainbow,

as if we separate all the time,

actually we forever rely on each other,

This is great love:

loyalty lives here,

Love,

not only your giant body,

but also the position you stand, the earth under your feet.

This poem has 36 lines.

In the first 13 lines, the poet uses six images of climbing trumpet creeper, infatuated bird, spring source, dangerous peak, sunlight, and spring rain to deny the traditional view of love.

Lines 14 to 36 express one's ideal love outlook positively.

13. How Can I Rid My Mind of Her 教我如何不想她 By Liu Bannong(1920)

Modern Chinese Love poem How Can I Rid My Mind of Her

"How Can I Rid My Mind of Her"

Light cloud drift above in the sky,

over the land wafts a light breeze.

The light breeze stirs my hair,

how can I rid my mind of her?

Moonlight loves the sea,

the sea delights in the moonlight.

On such a silvery night, sweet as honey,

how can I rid my mind of her?

Fallen blossoms slowly drift across the waters

as fish swim in their depths.

Swallow, what are you saying?

How can I rid my mind of her?

Withered trees shake in the cold wind,

while a grass fire burns at dust.

Sparse sunset clouds linger in the western sky,

how can I rid my mind of her?

14. Waiting for you I'm in the Rain 等你,在雨中 By Yu Guangzhong(1962)

Poem Waiting for you I'm in the Rain english

15. The Mistake 错误 By Zheng Chouyu

(1954)

Modern Chinese Love poem the mistake

"The Mistake"

I passed through the South of Yangzi

The face waiting at the turn of seasons, like a lotus flower, blooms and wilts

Without the east wind, the willow catkins in March do not flutter

Your heart is like the lonesome little town

Like its streets of cobblestones near nightfall

When footfalls are silent and the bed curtains of March not unveiled

Your heart is a little window tightly shut

My clattering hooves are beautiful mistakes

I am not a homecoming man but a passing traveler…

These ancient and modern Chinese love poems above can all be used to express your love for your lover, whether it is at a wedding or you are pursuing her or him.


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