Parting Gift on a Moonlit Night
- Poetry of Li Ye

《明月夜留别》

中文原文( Chinese )

离人无语月无声，明月有光人有情。

别后相思人似月，云间水上到层城。

English Translation

Leave-takers do not speak. The moon is silent, too.

Full moon glows with light. Leave-takers glow, too.

After parting, missing starts, seems just like a moon:

Amid the clouds, upon the waves, passing out of sight.

By Li Ye

- Last updated: 2024-11-06 17:12:04

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