The Moon over the Eyebrow Mountains
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《峨眉山月歌》

中文原文

峨眉山月半轮秋，影入平羌江水流。

夜发清溪向三峡，思君不见下渝州。

English Translation

The crescent moon looks like old Autumn's golden brow,

Its deep reflection flows with limpid water blue.

I'll leave the town on Clear Stream for Three Gorges now.

O Moon, how I miss you when you are out of view!

By Li Bai (Li Po)

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:30:39

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