A Great Wind
- Poetry of Liu Bang

《大风歌》

- Last updated: 2024-06-06 11:29:28

A Great Wind by Liu Bang
中文原文

大风起兮云飞扬，

威加海内兮归故乡。

安得猛士兮守四方。

English Translation

A great wind came forth,

the clouds rose on high.

Now that my might rules all within the seas,

I have returned to my old village.

Where will I find brave men to guard the four corners of my land?

The Song of the Great Wind is a song composed by Liu Bang in 195 BC when he visited his hometown in Pei County after suppressing Ying Bu's rebellion. He prepared a banquet and invited all his old friends and townsfolk to join him. After some drinks, Liu Bang played the guqin and sang the Song of the Great Wind (大風歌).

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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.

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