Regret for Peony Flowers
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《惜牡丹花》

- Last updated: 2024-03-25 09:50:42

中文原文

惆帐阶前红牡丹，晚来唯有两枝残。

明朝风起应吹尽，夜惜衰红把火看。

English Translation

I'm saddened by the peonies before the steps, so red,

As evening came I found that only two remained.

Once morning's winds have blown, they surely won't survive,

At night I gaze by lamplight, to cherish the fading red.

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