To Vice-prefects Li and Wang Degraded and Transferred to Xiazhong and Changsha
- Poetry of Gao Shi

《送李少府贬峡中王少府贬长沙》

中文原文( Chinese )

嗟君此别意何如，驻马衔杯问谪居。

巫峡啼猿数行泪，衡阳归雁几封书。

青枫江上秋帆远，白帝城边古木疏。

圣代即今多雨露，暂时分手莫踌躇。

English Translation

What are you thinking as we part from one another,

Pulling in our horses for the stirrup-cups?

Do these tear-streaks mean Wu Valley monkeys all weeping,

Or wildgeese returning with news from Heng Mountain?....

On the river between green maples an autumn sail grows dim,

There are only a few old trees by the wall of the White God City....

But the year is bound to freshen us with a dew of heavenly favour --

Take heart, we shall soon be together again!

Seven-character-regular-verse

- Last updated: 2024-04-25 22:06:48

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