Wooing Lutist
- Poetry of Du Fu

《琴台》

中文原文( Chinese )

茂陵多病后，尚爱卓文君。

酒肆人间世，琴台日暮云。

野花留宝靥，蔓草见罗裙。

归凤求凰意，寥寥不复闻。

English Translation

The lutist ill but fine

Still loved the phenix proud.

In their shop they sold wine;

He played lute for the cloud.

Her dimple in full bloom,

And her skirt like grass green.

Where’s the bride with her groom?

Nowhere can they be seen.

The poem expresses the poet’s praise for true love through the Qintai and the love story of Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru.

- Last updated: 2024-07-26 11:49:10

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