The Southland in Spring
- Poetry of Kou Zhun

《江南春·波渺渺》

- Last updated: 2024-04-13 16:27:33

中文原文

波渺渺，柳依依，

孤村芳草远，

斜日杏花飞。

江南春尽离肠断，

蘋满汀洲人未归。

English Translation

The willows drooping low, the waters of yearning vast,

The village lonely, far and wide the grass extends.

At sunset apricot flowers fall thick and fast.

Spring over in the south, my heart grief o'er separation rends.

Duckweed all o'er Tingzhou, would he return ere my bloom spends?

By Kou Zhun

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