Far and Wide the Lake Spreads before the Wind - to the Tune of Yuanwangsun
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《怨王孙·湖上风来波浩渺》
Far and Wide the Lake Spreads before the Wind - to the Tune of Yuanwangsun by Li Qingzhao
中文原文( Chinese )

湖上风来波浩渺，秋已暮、红稀香少。

水光山色与人亲，说不尽、无穷好。

莲子已成荷叶老，青露洗、萍花汀草。

眠沙鸥鹭不回头，似也恨、人归早。

English Translation

Far and wide the lake spreads before the soft wind.

It’s late autumn already, lotus fragrance lingering.

These waves, this light, the hills, and many more, -

are the eternal echoes of ancient music performing.

The lotus are seed pods with leaves brown and thin.

Dews cleanse duckweed blooms, the grassy strands.

The gulls and herons sleeping there don't even care

to lift their heads to the girls abandoning this scene.

This ci was written in Li Qing-zhao's early twenties and is sometimes called "An Ode to Lotus." The quantity and zeal of the acceptance in this early poem certainly contrast with her states of mind, especially her inconsolability, in later poems.

- Last updated: 2024-11-08 20:14:00
· Pre： Budding Blooms - to the Tune of Jianzi Magnolia
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

© 2024 CN-Poetry.com Chinese Poems in English