The Sad Zither is a famous seven-verse poem (write)by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin (813—858). Due to its rich imagery, the poem is regarded as one of (hard)poems to explain and translate.
In beginning of the poem, the poet looks at his zither and recalls the death of his beloved wife. The big number of strings, which might not be the real number, is mentioned (show) his feeling. With so many strings, his zither creates complicated tones, (suggest) the sorrow and depression the poet feels. The reality is so cruel that he wishes everything happened was untrue. In this part, he uses four Chinese ancient myths and legends: Zhuangzi, a philosopher, dreams of being a butterfly and couldn't distinguish dream reality; the ancient emperor Wang becomes a cuckoo and always cries; mermaid's tears become pearl and vapor of jade from Lantian County can (see)in the sunlight. The first three stories all create a sad atmosphere. Though the last legend describes a beautiful scene, it's hard to reach, implicating the hopelessness.
Actually, the four (story)he chose indicate Li's dissatisfaction with his life.
In the end, the poet (direct)expresses his point. He wrote about his regret toward the passing years and the helplessness of being unable to change anything, even if he was given the chance to live those years again.
