Travelling is Hard
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《行路难·金樽清酒斗十千》

- Last updated: 2024-04-23 22:21:58

中文原文

金樽清酒斗十千，玉盘珍羞直万钱。

停杯投箸不能食，拔剑四顾心茫然。

欲渡黄河冰塞川，将登太行雪满山。

闲来垂钓碧溪上，忽复乘舟梦日边。

行路难！行路难！多歧路，今安在？

长风破浪会有时，直挂云帆济沧海。

English Translation

Clear wine in golden goblets, ten thousand cash a cup,

And costly delicacies on jade platters.

Yet I spurn drinking and toss away my chopsticks,

Sword in hand, restless, I wonder what to do.

I want to cross the Yellow River, but it's ice-bound;

I want to climb the Taihang Mountains, but they're snow-covered.

So idly I fish by a limpid stream,

Dreaming of sailing towards the sun.

Travelling is hard! Travelling is hard!

So many crossroads; which to choose?

One day I'll skim the waves, blown by the wind,

With sails hoisted high, across the vast ocean.

By Li Bai

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