Nan Ge Zi – Mourning the Dead
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《南歌子·天上星河转》

中文原文( Chinese )

天上星河转，人间帘幕垂。

凉生枕簟泪痕滋。

起解罗衣聊问、夜何其。

翠贴莲蓬小，金销藕叶稀。

旧时天气旧时衣。

只有情怀不似、旧家时。

English Translation

Up in the heavens, the starry river turns;

Down here on earth, curtains, drapes hang low.

The air chilling, my tears dripping, dousing my mat and pillow;

I rise to disrobe my silken o'erclothes, and idly wonder

How old the night has grown.

‘Tis a robe of small lotus-pods, patched on in green,

And a few leaves of the lotus, gilt-threaded, yellowed.

The same seasonal clime of old time, the selfsame old-time robe;

Only my sentiments aren't quite the same, as those I'd known

In our days in time of old.

By Li Qingzhao

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 23:40:35

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