Endless Yearning I
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《长相思之一》
Endless Yearning I by Li Bai (Li Po)
中文原文

长相思，在长安。

络纬秋啼金井阑，微霜凄凄簟色寒。

孤灯不明思欲绝，卷帷望月空长叹。

美人如花隔云端！

上有青冥之长天，下有渌水之波澜。

天长路远魂飞苦，梦魂不到关山难。

长相思，摧心肝！

English Translation

"I am endlessly yearning

To be in Changan.

...Insects hum of autumn by the gold brim of the well;

A thin frost glistens like little mirrors on my cold mat;

The high lantern flickers; and. deeper grows my longing.

I lift the shade and, with many a sigh, gaze upon the moon,

Single as a flower, centred from the clouds.

Above, I see the blueness and deepness of sky.

Below, I see the greenness and the restlessness of water....

Heaven is high, earth wide; bitter between them flies my sorrow.

Can I dream through the gateway, over the mountain?

Endless longing

Breaks my heart."

Folk-song-styled-verse

- Last updated: 2024-04-23 22:09:10
· Pre： Hard Roads in Shu
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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