On Climbing orchid Mountain in the Autumn to Zhang
- Poetry of Meng Haoran

《秋登兰山寄张五》

- Last updated: 2024-04-19 09:23:57

中文原文

北山白云里，隐者自怡悦。

相望试登高，心随雁飞灭。

愁因薄暮起，兴是清秋发。

时见归村人，沙行渡头歇。

天边树若荠，江畔洲如月。

何当载酒来，共醉重阳节。

English Translation

On a northern peak among white clouds

You have found your hermitage of peace;

And now, as I climb this mountain to see you,

High with the wildgeese flies my heart.

The quiet dusk might seem a little sad

If this autumn weather were not so brisk and clear;

I look down at the river bank, with homeward-bound villagers

Resting on the sand till the ferry returns;

There are trees at the horizon like a row of grasses

And against the river's rim an island like the moon

I hope that you will come and meet me, bringing a basket of wine --

And we'll celebrate together the Mountain Holiday.

Five-character-ancient-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