Solitude
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《自遣》

中文原文( Chinese )

对酒不觉暝，落花盈我衣。

醉起步溪月，鸟还人亦稀。

English Translation

I'm drunk with wine

And with moonshine,

With flowers fallen o'er the ground

And o'er me the blue-gowned.

Sobered,I stroll along the stream

Whose ripples gleam,

I see no bird

And hear no word.

By Li Bai (Li Po)

- Last updated: 2023-12-19 13:06:06

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