A Farewell To Li Duan
- Poetry of Lu Lun

《李端公(送李端)》

中文原文( Chinese )

故关衰草遍，离别自堪悲。

路出寒云外，人归暮雪时。

少孤为客早，多难识君迟。

掩泪空相向，风尘何处期？

English Translation

By my old gate, among yellow grasses,

Still we linger, sick at heart.

The way you must follow through cold clouds

Will lead you this evening into snow.

Your father died; you left home young;

Nobody knew of your misfortunes.

We cry, we say nothing. What can I wish you,

In this blowing wintry world?

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- Last updated: 2024-05-04 11:33:11

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