Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《山中问答》

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 14:29:29

中文原文

问余何意栖碧山，笑而不答心自闲。

桃花流水窅然去，别有天地非人间。

English Translation

They ask me why I live in the green mountains.

I smile and don't reply; my heart's at ease.

Peach blossoms flow downstream, leaving no trace -

And there are other earths and skies than these.

By Li Bai (Li Po)

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