Sleeping on a Night of Autumn Rain
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《秋雨夜眠》

- Last updated: 2024-03-19 13:19:53

中文原文

凉冷三秋夜，安闲一老翁。

卧迟灯灭后，睡美雨声中。

灰宿温瓶火，香添暖被笼。

晓晴寒未起，霜叶满阶红。

English Translation

It's cold this night in autumn's third month,

Peacefully within, a lone old man.

He lies down late, the lamp already gone out,

And beautifully sleeps amid the sound of rain.

The ash inside the vessel still warm from the fire,

Its fragrance increases the warmth of quilt and covers.

When dawn comes, clear and cold, he does not rise,

The red frosted leaves cover the steps.

By Bai Juyi

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.

List of Chinese poets