Song of the Burial
- Poetry of Cao Cao

《蒿里行》
Song of the Burial by Cao Cao
中文原文

关东有义士，兴兵讨群凶。

初期会盟津，乃心在咸阳。

军合力不齐，踌躇而雁行。

势利使人争，嗣还自相戕。

淮南弟称号，刻玺于北方。

铠甲生虮虱，万姓以死亡。

白骨露于野，千里无鸡鸣。

生民百遗一，念之断人肠。

English Translation

Heroes in the east rise in revolt,

Attacking traitors like a thunderbolt.

When they raise troops to put rebellions down,

They plan to meet again in the capital town.


As the troops cannot be of one mind,

They hesitate and therefore fall behind.

They begin to fight against each other 

And even plot against their own brother.

The younger brother ascends the throne 

While the elder keeps a seal of his own.


Meanwhile,the soldiers are beset by lice 

And the people suffer worthless sacrifice.

Dead bodies scatter in the open air;

Not even cockcrow is heard anywhere.

The high death rate is beyond belief;

At thought of this,I'm benumbed with grief.

Cao Cao

- Last updated: 2024-08-19 15:02:51
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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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