Tying Silk Fish for Friends
- Poetry of Li Ye

《结素鱼贻友人》

中文原文( Chinese )

尺素如残雪，结为双鲤鱼。

欲知心里事，看取腹中书。

English Translation

A foot of silk like unmelted snow

Is tied in the shape of two carp.

If you want to know what's in my heart,

Let's read the book of what I feel.

Perhaps it's ephemeral, like making Jacob's Ladder with her hands, as she thinks of friends with her heart.

- Last updated: 2024-11-07 08:17:17

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