A Sandless Sky · Autumn
- Poetry of Bai Pu

《天净沙·秋》

中文原文( Chinese )

孤村落日残霞，轻烟老树寒鸦，一点飞鸿影下。

青山绿水，白草红叶黄花。

English Translation

A lonely village, the setting sun, thin rosy clouds,

Soft smoke, old trees, jackdaws,

The tiny shadow of a wild goose is flying downwards.

Blue hills, green water,

White grass, red leaves, yellow flowers.

By Bai Renfu

- Last updated: 2024-07-12 15:20:23

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