Ru Meng Ling -- Reminiscence
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《如梦令·常记溪亭日暮》

中文原文( Chinese )

常记溪亭日暮，沉醉不知归路。

兴尽晚回舟，误入藕花深处。

争渡，争渡，惊起一滩鸥鹭。

English Translation

I often recall that sunset gath'ring at Brookside Pavilion;

We got so drunk, too drunk to tell our bearings home.

By dusk, our gay mood spent, our boats we turned

Only to stray: straight into the depths of the lotus groves.

Ah, on, we rowed!

And on, we rowed!

Startling to flight, herons and gulls of the sandy shallows.

By Li Qingzhao

- Last updated: 2023-12-21 19:53:03

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