Quotation

Quote by Li Shangyin

“老鸦似措大,饥寒则吟。” — “A crow resembles a poor scholar: when hungry and cold, it sings.”

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Understanding this quote

The line compares a crow’s call with a poor scholar’s singing. In both cases, hunger and cold are placed alongside song, making the sound seem like an expression that comes from hardship rather than comfort. The comparison gives the scholar’s singing a plaintive, unadorned quality and connects it to the crow’s cry.

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Chinese Wikisource, 《义山杂纂》
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