Dim Scent
- Poetry of Jiang Kui

《暗⾹·旧时⽉⾊》

- Last updated: 2024-06-21 10:51:31

Dim Scent by Jiang Kui
中文原文

旧时⽉⾊，算⼏番照我，梅边吹笛？

唤起⽟⼈，不管清寒与攀摘。

何逊⽽今渐⽼，都忘却春风词笔。

但怪得⽵外疏花，⾹冷⼊瑶席。


江国，正寂寂，叹寄与路遥，夜雪初积。

翠尊易泣，红萼⽆⾔耿相忆。

长记曾携⼿处，千树压、西湖寒碧。

又⽚⽚、吹尽也，⼏时见得？

English Translation

Aged moonlight, how many times


have you shone on me, beside the plum blossoms?

Listening to the sound of flute.


Wake up, love—despite the air being cold

like washed jade, we climbed


to pluck the newest buds. Now,

as I’ve aged, my oblivious brushstrokes too weak


to recite the Spring wind, the sparse,

rose-colored dapples beyond the bamboo forest


sending a sharp fragrance.


….


The water provinces, desolate.


I want to send you this sprig of plum blossoms

tonight. Tonight, snow piles


for ten thousand miles. The emerald wine glass

weeps against the damp petals.


Remember where we held hands, the moment

when a thousand trees suddenly


bent crimson beside a lake.


Then piece by piece, taken by the wind.


These assembled past … when, again, will I see?

Jiang Kui, 1155–1221, Southern Song Dynasty

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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.

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