流水落花

Origin and story

Li Yu's lyric to the tune Lang Tao Sha (浪淘沙), beginning with rain outside the curtain, joins fading spring to a sense of loss. The speaker briefly forgets his condition in a dream, then faces the painful distance between departure and any hoped-for return. Near the end, flowing water and fallen flowers accompany spring's passing, followed by the contrast between heaven and the human world.

流水落花 is therefore more than a decorative garden scene in this lyric: its movement suggests beauty and a former life slipping beyond recovery. The expression can evoke spring's decline and transience. It is also used in later literature for music that moves gently and naturally, so the intended meaning depends on context.