An Old Air
- Poetry of Li Qi

《古意》

中文原文( Chinese )

男儿事长征，少小幽燕客。

赌胜马蹄下，由来轻七尺。

杀人莫敢前，须如猬毛磔。

黄云陇底白云飞，未得报恩不得归。

辽东小妇年十五，惯弹琵琶解歌舞。

今为羌笛出塞声，使我三军泪如雨。

English Translation

There once was a man, sent on military missions,

A wanderer, from youth, on the You and Yan frontiers.

Under the horses' hoofs he would meet his foes

And, recklessly risking his seven-foot body,

Would slay whoever dared confront

Those moustaches that bristled like porcupinequills.

...There were dark clouds below the hills, there were white clouds above them,

But before a man has served full time, how can he go back?

In eastern Liao a girl was waiting, a girl of fifteen years,

Deft with a guitar, expert in dance and song.

...She seems to be fluting, even now, a reed-song of home,

Filling every soldier's eyes with homesick tears.

Seven-character-ancient-verse

- Last updated: 2024-04-21 10:39:41

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