— Wang Jian
Waiting for him alone
Where the river goes by,
She turns into a stone
Gazing with longing eye.
Atop the hill from day to day come wind and rain;
The stone should speak to see her husband come again.
Note
Wang Jian (768–835) was a prolific poet of the mid-Tang Dynasty, best known for his vivid “palace poems” and socially observant verse that often gave voice to ordinary people – especially women, soldiers, and laborers. His style is direct, emotive, and grounded in real human experience.
His short but haunting poem “The Stone Gazing for Her Husband” (The Husband-Watching Rock or Wang Fu Shi) draws on a famous Chinese folk legend: a woman waits so long and so faithfully by the riverbank for her husband’s return that she turns into stone, still facing the distance. Wang Jian captures this myth with stark simplicity – “Where she gazes for her husband, the river flows endlessly. She turned to stone, never looking back.”
The poem then adds emotional depth: day after day, the stone endures wind and rain, yet remains steadfast. In the final line, the poet imagines a miracle – if her husband ever returns, “the stone would surely speak.” This tender hope transforms a tale of loss into one of eternal devotion, blending folklore, longing, and quiet resilience.
望夫石
— 王建
望夫处，江悠悠。
化为石，不回头。
上头日日风复雨，
行人归来石应语。
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