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

《子夜四时歌四首·春歌》

中文原文

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