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

《峨眉山月歌》

中文原文( Chinese )

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