Fish in a Gully
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《涧中鱼》

中文原文( Chinese )

海水桑田欲变时，风涛翻覆沸天池。

鲸吞蛟斗波成血，深涧游鱼乐不知。

English Translation

When sea and land undergo violent change,

Waters seethe, winds rage, the earth heaves and quakes.

While waves turn crimson as whales and dragons contend,

Fish swimming in a deep gully enjoy themselves, oblivious to all this.

By Bai Juyi

- Last updated: 2024-04-13 16:29:14

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