English Rendering
I've heard home-going cuckoos sing in Western Towers,
And here and now I see the blooming cuckoo flowers,
I turn away:my heart will break to hear them sing,
For they remind me of my homeland in late spring.
Azalea Blooms Viewed in Xuancheng
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《宣城见杜鹃花》
Original Text (中文原文)
蜀国曾闻子规鸟，宣城还见杜鹃花。
一叫一回肠一断，三春三月忆三巴。
Analysis & Context
Chinese name for azalea flowers which bloom when cuckoos cry "Go home!and,according to Chinese legend,shed bloody tears.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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