A Love Song
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《杨叛儿》

中文原文

君歌杨叛儿，妾劝新丰酒。

何许最关人，乌啼白门柳。

乌啼隐杨花，君醉留妾家。

博山炉中沉香火，双烟一气凌紫霞。

English Translation

You sing a lover's lore;

I urge you to drink more.

What touches you and me？

Crows nest on willow tree.

Crows hide mid poplar flowers;

Drunk，you stay in my bowers.

Behold the censer and the sandalwood in fire!

Two wreaths of smoke combine and rise higher and higher.

By Li Bai (Li Po)

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:33:16

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