[Magpie Bridge] - Double Seventh Day
- Poetry of Fan Chengda

《鹊桥仙·七夕》

中文原文

双星良夜，耕慵织懒，应被群仙相妒。

娟娟月姊满眉颦，更无奈、风姨吹雨。

相逢草草，争如休见，重搅别离心绪。

新欢不抵旧愁多，倒添了、新愁归去。

English Translation

The two stars in the sky

Don't till or weave, o why?

'Cause the fairies enviously pry.

The moon so fair knits her brows with a frown;

She does in grief drown;

Now wind blows a rain down.

They meet just for a while,

No more than a faint smile.

In their hearts their rues make a pile.

New joys are few, whereas old woes grow more.

What one may deplore,

They end with a new sore.

By Fan Chengda

- Last updated: 2024-07-18 10:36:22

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