Classic Chinese Love Poems

Love was often the eternal theme for Chinese ancient poems. Here are some pieces handed down over hundreds of years, which are nowadays still being quoted and continue to gain great popularity.

liǎng qíng ruò shì jiǔ cháng  shí,  yòu qǐ zài zhāo zhāo mù mù

两情若是久长时，又岂在朝朝暮暮
If love between both sides can last for an age，
Why stay together night and day?

zài tiān yuàn zuò bǐ yì niǎo ，zài dì yuàn wéi lián lǐ zhī

在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝
In heaven as two birds flying together,
On earth as two trees with branches interlocked forever.

zhòng lǐ xún tā qiān bǎi dù ,mò rán huí shǒu ,nà rén què zài ,dēng huǒ lán shān chù

众里寻她千百度,蓦然回首,那人却在,灯火阑珊处。
Hundreds and thousands of times, for her I searched in chaos,
Suddenly, I turned by chance, to wher the lights were waning, and there she stood.

xiàng jiàn shí nán bié yì nán ，dōng fēng wú lì bǎi huā cán

相见时难别亦难，东风无力百花残。
It was hard to meet you and harder to bid farewell.
The east wind blew weak and all the flowers fell.

zhí zǐ zhī shǒu ，yǔ zǐ xié lǎo

执子之手，与子偕老。
Hand-in-hand, till death do us part.

yuàn dé yī xīn rén ，bái shǒu bú xiàng lí

愿得一心人，白首不相离。
Catch one’s heart, never be apart.

shān yǒu mù xī mù yǒu zhī ， xīn yuè jun1 xī jun1 bú zhī

山有木兮木有枝， 心悦君兮君不知。
Trees are on the mountain, branches are in the tree,
But you never know that you are in my deep heart.