Border-songs I
- Poetry of Lu Lun

《塞下曲四首之一》

- Last updated: 2024-04-07 10:04:29

中文原文

鷲翎金僕姑，燕尾繡蝥弧。

獨立揚新令，千營共一呼。

English Translation

His golden arrow is tipped with hawk's feathers,

His embroidered silk flag has a tail like a swallow.

One man, arising, gives a new order

To the answering shout of a thousand tents.

Folk-song-styled-verse

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