Frail,Frail a Bamboo
- Poetry of Anonymous

《冉冉孤生竹》
Frail,Frail a Bamboo by Anonymous
中文原文

冉冉孤生竹，结根泰山阿。

与君为新婚，兔丝附女萝。

兔丝生有时，夫妇会有宜。

千里远结婚，悠悠隔山陂。

思君令人老，轩车来何迟！

伤彼蕙兰花，含英扬光辉；

过时而不采，将随秋草萎。

君亮执高节，贱妾亦何为？

English Translation

Frail,frail a bamboo that grows alone 

Takes root beneath Mount Tai's earth and stone.

I'm newly wed to you,a man so fine,

Like dodder clinging to a creeping vine.

As dodder has its proper prime of life,

So man should grasp the time to meet his wife.

We're joined in wedlock a thousand li away,

With mounts and rivers lying on the way.


Thought of you is tearing me apart;

How slow in coming is your canopied cart!

I do feel sorry for the orchid flower,

Which is beaming with youth and power.

If you don't pick the flower in its prime,

It'll wither with the grass in autumn time.

Since you remain so faithful to this day,

What complaints are there that I may say?

Anonymous

- Last updated: 2024-08-12 10:23:22
· Pre： Brightly Shines
Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

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