On the Lake
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《池上》

中文原文( Chinese )

小娃撑小艇，偷采白莲回。

不解藏踪迹，浮萍一道开。

English Translation

A little child paddles a little boat,

Drifting about, and picking white lotuses.

He does not know how to hide his tracks,

And duckweed's opened up along his path.

By Bai Juyi

- Last updated: 2024-12-23 20:28:19

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