After Finishing a Poem
- Poetry of Jia Dao

《题诗后》

- Last updated: 2024-04-10 11:29:02

中文原文

二句三年得，一吟双泪流。

知音如不赏，归卧故山秋。

English Translation

Those two lines cost me three years:

I chant them once and get two more, of tears.

Friend, if you don't like them…

I'll go home, and lie down,

in the ancient mountain autumn.

By Jia Dao

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