A Spring Song
- Poetry of Liu Yuxi

《春词》

- Last updated: 2023-12-23 22:49:06

中文原文

新妆宜面下朱楼，深锁春光一院愁。

行到中庭数花朵，蜻蜓飞上玉搔头。

English Translation

In gala robes she comes down from her chamber

Into her courtyard, enclosure of spring....

When she tries from the centre to count the flowers,

On her hairpin of jade a dragon-fly poises.

Seven-character-quatrain

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