The song in spring
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《春词》

中文原文( Chinese )

低花树映小妆楼，春入眉心两点愁。

斜倚栏干背鹦鹉，思量何事不回头。

English Translation

The roses and pear trees shade my attic,

i frown to paint her beautiful face.

Turn my back to the parrot,melody of blue creek

i could hear,just wonder why she returns to this place.

By Bai Juyi

- Last updated: 2024-03-19 13:17:28

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