Chinese Poems About Sadness and Loneliness

These lines do not force sadness into a cheerful slogan. They give difficult feelings a truthful and memorable form.

I feel lonely tonight My sadness keeps growing I am emotionally exhausted

Original lines

Read the Chinese, meaning, and source together

2 curated lines

✓ 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.

Open result page

✓ 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.

Open result page

Translation note: These English readings are original explanations prepared for Gu Ren Said. The Chinese original and source are the authoritative objects being verified; literary translations can reasonably differ.

Keep exploring

Other themes in the classics

All themes →

LoveVerified lines from classical Chinese poetry about affection, romance, and a heart that cannot forget.Missing someoneClassical Chinese lines for longing, absence, and someone who remains on your mind.BeautyElegant classical Chinese lines for praising a smile, eyes, presence, and unforgettable beauty.FriendshipVerified classical Chinese lines about true friends, distance, understanding, and harmony without conformity.