Ascending Xinping Tower
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《登新平楼》

中文原文( Chinese )

去国登兹楼，怀归伤暮秋。

天长落日远，水净寒波流。

秦云起岭树，胡雁飞沙洲。

苍苍几万里，目极令人愁。

English Translation

Leaving the capital,I climb this tower.

Can I return home like late autumn flower?

The sky is vast,the setting sun is far;

The water clear,the waves much colder are.

Clouds rise above the western-mountain trees;

O'er river dunes fly south-going wild geese,

The boundless land outspread 'neath gloomy skies,

How gloomy I feel while I stretch my eyes!

In present-day Shanxi Province.

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:38:27

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