A classical Chinese line for “I feel lonely tonight”

These matches come from a curated corpus of real Chinese poetry and philosophy. The source line is fixed; the English wording is provided to make its meaning accessible.

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The closest lines we found

2 source-verified results

✓ Verified sourceBilingual

抽刀断水水更流，举杯消愁愁更愁。

Chōu dāo duàn shuǐ shuǐ gèng liú, jǔ bēi xiāo chóu chóu gèng chóu.

Close English reading

Cut water with a blade and it flows all the more; raise a cup to drown sorrow and sorrow grows deeper.

Plain meaningTrying to force grief away can make it return even more strongly.

SourceLi Bai · Tang dynasty · Farewell to Secretary Shu Yun at Xie Tiao Tower in Xuanzhou
Complete Tang Poems

Why it fitsThe image captures frustration with feelings that cannot simply be cut off or numbed.

Original context and translation note

弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧。

English wording on Gu Ren Said is an original reading aid, not a claim that there is only one valid literary translation.

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✓ Verified sourceBilingual

独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。

Dú zài yì xiāng wéi yì kè, měi féng jiā jié bèi sī qīn.

Close English reading

Alone in a foreign place, I am a stranger; at every festival, I miss my family all the more.

Plain meaningBeing far from home makes special days feel even lonelier.

SourceWang Wei · Tang dynasty · Thinking of My Brothers East of the Mountains on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month
Complete Tang Poems

Why it fitsIt directly connects distance, festival time, loneliness, and longing for family.

Original context and translation note

遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人。

English wording on Gu Ren Said is an original reading aid, not a claim that there is only one valid literary translation.

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Translation note: The English readings are original explanatory translations for this product. They are designed for clarity and source verification, not presented as definitive literary translations.

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The closest lines we found

抽刀断水水更流，举杯消愁愁更愁。

独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。

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