A Song of Changgan II
- Poetry of Cui Hao

《长干行二首之二》

中文原文( Chinese )

家临九江水，来去九江侧。

同是长干人，生小不相识。

English Translation

"Yes, I live here, by the river;

I have sailed on it many and many a time.

Both of us born in Changgan, you and I!

Why haven't we always known each other?"

Folk-song-styled-verse

- Last updated: 2024-03-18 14:59:48

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