Song of the Dew
- Poetry of Cao Cao

《薤露行》
Song of the Dew by Cao Cao
中文原文

惟汉廿二世，所任诚不良。

沐猴而冠带，知小而谋强。

犹豫不敢断，因狩执君王。

白虹为贯日，己亦先受殃。

贼臣持国柄，杀主灭宇京。

荡覆帝基业，宗庙以燔丧。

播越西迁移，号泣而且行。

瞻彼洛城郭，微子为哀伤。

English Translation

Twenty kings have reigned in the House of Han,

But the former king employs a wavering man.

Like a monkey dressed in man's attire,

He is ignorant but tricky,a perfect liar.

As he hesitates to put rebellion down,

The king is then abducted out of town.

When the rainbow lies across the sun,

The evil omen means that his life is done.


Dong Zhuo usurps the power in great haste;

He kills the king and lays the capital to waste.

The House of Han is in peril during the clashes;

The ancestral temple soon is burnt to ashes.

The king has to move his throne to the west,

The people sob on the way,deeply distressed.

When I look at the former capital town,

I feel a pang of sorrow for the crown.

Cao Cao

- Last updated: 2024-08-19 14:54:33
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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.

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