At Wang Changlin's Retreat
- Poetry of Chang Jian

《宿王昌龄隐居》

- Last updated: 2024-04-19 10:01:46

中文原文

清溪深不测，隐处唯孤云。

松际露微月，清光犹为君。

茅亭宿花影，药院滋苔纹。

余亦谢时去，西山鸾鹤群。

English Translation

Here, beside a clear deep lake,

You live accompanied by clouds;

Or soft through the pine the moon arrives

To be your own pure-hearted friend.

You rest under thatch in the shadow of your flowers,

Your dewy herbs flourish in their bed of moss.

Let me leave the world. Let me alight, like you,

On your western mountain with phoenixes and cranes.

Five-character-ancient-verse

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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.

List of Chinese poets