Spring Boudoir Complaint
- Poetry of Li Ye

《春闺怨》

中文原文( Chinese )

百尺井栏上，数株桃已红。

念君辽海北，抛妾宋家东。

English Translation

Sitting on the railing of a hundred-foot well,

I count those peach branches which are already pink.

You must be north of the Great Wall's sea end

Abandoning me here, east of ancient Song.

This is the last poem we have of Li Ye.

- Last updated: 2024-11-07 17:55:25

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