Li Qingzhao’s ‘Xún Xún Mì Mì’: Repetition and Melancholy in Song Dynasty Ci Poetry
“寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。”Pinyin: Xún xún mì mì, lěng lěng qīng qīng, qī qī cǎn cǎn qī qī.Translation: “Seeking, seeking, searching, searching; cold, cold, desolate, desolate; sorrowful, sorrowful, mournful, mournful.”Source: Slow, Slow Tune · Seeking, Seeking (《声声慢·寻寻觅觅》, Shēng Shēng Màn · Xún Xún Mì Mì)Explanation: Uses repetitive phrasing to intensify a mood of solitude; a hallmark of classical Chinese literary style.
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