Tune: "Pure Serene Music"
- Poetry of Li Yu

《清平乐·别来春半》

中文原文( Chinese )

别来春半，触目柔肠断。

砌下落梅如雪乱，拂了一身还满。

雁来音信无凭，路遥归梦难成。

离恨恰如春草，更行更远还生。

English Translation

Spring has half gone since we two parted;

I can see nothing now but broken-hearted.

Plum blossoms fall below the steps like whirling snow;

They cover me still though brushed off a while ago.

No message comes from the wild geese's song;

In dreams you cannot come back for the road is long.

The grief of separation like spring grass

Grows each day you're farther away, alas!

By Li Yu

- Last updated: 2024-04-03 12:12:56

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