Ballads of Four Seasons: Spring
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《子夜四时歌四首·春歌》

中文原文( Chinese )

秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边。

素手青条上，红妆白日鲜。

蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连。

English Translation

The lovely Lo Fo of the western land

Plucks mulberry leaves by the waterside.

Across the green boughs stretches out her white hand;

In golden sunshine her rosy robe is dyed.

"my silkworms are hungry, I cannot stay.

Tarry not with your five-horse cab, I pray."

Folk-song-styled-verse

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:04:34

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