Chinese poem illustration: 秋夕/ Autumn Night by Du Mu
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A poem for July 7th/Double Seven festival(七夕or乞巧) on lunar calendar, or 2018.8.17.
With vivid description of the night and those odalisk in Tang palace, the bitter and sad feeling is suggested by the silver color of candle(银烛), twilight of autumn night(秋光) and the boring odalisk. The implication of cold/lonely feeling by color is highly appreciated.
The Double Seven Festival is festival for female only in Tang dynasty, not like today treated as a Chinese Valentine Day. Not matter in the past or today, it is of joy, celebration and praying, the bitterness, sadness and loneliness in this poem make a big contrast to the happy festival.
This poem belongs to Woman Complaining Poetry(闺怨诗/宫怨诗), very probably it could be an indirect expression of Du Mu himself, complaining about his own life and fate: his talent was totally forgot by the emperor. Another poem on Double Seven Festival could be referenced: 迢迢牵牛星.
秋夕
杜牧
银烛秋光冷画屏，
轻罗小扇扑流萤。
天阶夜色凉如水，
卧看牵牛织女星。
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