The novel's protagonist drifts all his life - truly 'the heartbroken traveler at the edge of the world.'
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history
The famous final line of 马致远《天净沙·秋思》 (Ma Zhiyuan, 'Tian Jing Sha: Autumn Thoughts,' Yuan dynasty, late 13th c.): 枯藤老树昏鸦，小桥流水人家，古道西风瘦马。夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯 (Withered vines, old trees, dusk crows; small bridge, flowing water, households; ancient road, west wind, gaunt horse. The setting sun goes down - the heartbroken traveler at the sky's edge). Known as 秋思之祖 (the ancestor of autumn-thought poems), this qu is one of the most famous short poems in Chinese.
usage
Always quoted with 夕阳西下 - the two lines are the poem's emotional punchline. 天涯 ('sky's edge') means the farthest, loneliest reaches of travel. Used in songs, films, and essays on displacement.
