Bamboo Branch Song
- Poetry of Liu Yuxi

《竹枝词·山桃红花满上头》
Bamboo Branch Song by Liu Yuxi
中文原文( Chinese )

山桃红花满上头，蜀江春水拍山流。

花红易衰似郎意，水流无限似侬愁。

English Translation

The mountain's red with peach blossoms above;

The shore is washed by spring water below.

Red blossoms will fade as my gallant's love;

The river as my sorrow will e'er flow.

Liu Yuxi (772-842)was well known for his popular songs which depict the life and love of the common people.This song displays a happy combination of natural scenery and inner feeling of the persona.

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 17:52:40
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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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