Elegy

哀歌

 

Elegy refers to a formal and sustained lament in verse for the death of a particular person, usually ending in a consolation. The dirge is also a versified expression of grief on the occasion of a particular person’s death, but differs from the elegy in that it is short, is less formal, and is usually represented as a text to be sung.

 

    哀歌指为缅怀亡者而写的格式严谨、篇幅较长的悼词，通常以安慰生者为结尾。挽歌也同样用于表达对亡者离去的悲痛，但与哀歌不同的是，挽歌篇幅短，不十分拘泥格式，并且一般可以配曲吟唱。