After Finishing a Poem
- Poetry of Jia Dao

《题诗后》

中文原文( Chinese )

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

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

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