1 of 3 Loop Poems: 秦觀 靜思伊久阻歸期 Quietly I think of my Lady fine – My return date's been delayed for so long;

                  轉     靜 
          漏                 思
        聞                     伊
      時                         久
        離                     阻
          別                 歸
                憶      期          


from the net ：

<连环诗，是中国诗中一种特殊的作品形式。多是指组成诗句的文字互相嵌套，如同环环相扣，所以叫连环诗。

连环诗 的形式通常排列成圆圈形，字数不限，读的方法很多，一般从圆圈最上边的当中一字起头，然后按顺时针或逆时针方向，每五字或七字一断，即可读成若干首五言诗或七言诗。也有的 连环诗 作品可以从任意一个字开始，按照规律可以读出许多首诗（多为每句字数相同的古体诗）。>

<... 回文诗 有很多种形式如 ”通体回文”、”就句回文”、”双句回文”、”本篇回文”、”环复回文”等．

通体回文  是指一首诗从末尾一字读至开头一字另成一首新诗．

就句回文  是指一句内完成回复的过程，每句的前半句与后半句互为回文．

双句回文  是指下一句为上一句的回读．

本篇回文  是指一首诗词本身完成一个回复，即后半篇是前半篇的回复．

环复回文  是指先连续至尾，再从尾连续至开头。>

THE LOOP POEMS
This is an interesting presentation of the first of three little Loop Poems -- the "Seven-Character Jueju" 七言回文絕句 (7-word x 4 lines = 28 words in AAXA rhyme) -- now rendered into 4 lined English verse (in AABB rhyme) below. 

The story goes something like this. Qin Shaoyou 秦少游, a renowned young scholar and the husband of Su Xiaomei 蘇小妹, was away at a far-off place on business. Su Shi 蘇軾 and Xiaomei, who were brother and sister, were happily touring the countryside together, admiring the flowers and fine scenery in a famous garden where lotus-root pickers were working in the vicinity when they received the above odd never-ending poem shown in red, with only 14 words written in a circle, from Qin by special courier... (the Chinese UPS perhaps: 'Universal Poetic Service'). (and some scholars believe that Su Xiaomei 蘇小妹 is merely a fictional figure...)

The talented Su brother and sister quickly deciphered it and each promptly wrote an impromptu piece and sent them (see 2 and 3 of the Loop Poems to follow) back by the same courier.


宋 • 秦观(少游)《相思》连环诗: 
七言回文絕句


   静思伊久阻归期，久阻归期忆别离。

   忆别离时闻漏转，时闻漏转静思伊。



宋 • 秦觀(少游)《相思》叠字連環詩: 
七言回文絕句

         靜思伊久阻歸期，久阻歸期憶別離。

　　憶別離時聞漏轉，時聞漏轉靜思伊。


A 7-Character JUEJU (4-Lined Verse) Loop Poem:
"QUIETLY, I THINK OF MY LADY FINE -- MY RETURN DATE'S BEEN DELAYED FOR SO LONG"
-- by QIN SHAOYOU (Song Dynasty) 
-- Translated by Frank C Yue

Quietly I think of my Lady fine –
My return date's been delayed for so long;
My return date's been delayed for so long,                    
Sadly then our parting comes to mind.

Sadly then our parting comes to mind,
When the water-clock's heard loud and strong.
When the water-clock's heard loud and strong,
Quietly I think of my Lady fine.


from the net:

< 秦观，字少游、太虚，号淮海居士，高邮（属江苏）人。宋神宗元丰八年（1085）进士。文才为 苏轼 赏识，是 “苏门四学士” 之一。在新旧党争中屡遭贬谪，死于放还途中藤州。他的词风格接近 李煜 和 柳永，在婉约词中成就最高。他善于以长调抒写柔情，语言淡雅，委婉含蓄，留有余韵。多是男女离愁别恨及身世伤感之作。词集有《淮海词》。>