Farewell beyond the Thorn-Gate Gorge
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《渡荆门送别》

中文原文( Chinese )

渡远荆门外，来从楚国游。

山随平野尽，江入大荒流。

月下飞天镜，云生结海楼。

仍怜故乡水，万里送行舟。

English Translation

Leaving Mount Thorn-Gate far away,

My boat pursues its eastward way.

Where mountains end begins the plain;

The river rolls to boundless main.

The moon,celestial mirror,flies;

The clouds like miraged towers rise.

The water that from homeland flows

Will follow me where my boat goes.

By Li Bai (Li Po)

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:32:02

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