I came back where we broke the willow twigs
- Poetry of Nalan Xingde

《蝶恋花》

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 15:40:53

中文原文

又到绿杨曾折处，不语垂鞭，踏遍清秋路。

衰草连天无意绪，雁声远向萧关去。

不恨天涯行役苦，只恨西风，吹梦成今古。

明日客程还几许，沾衣况是新寒雨。

English Translation

I came back where we broke the willow twigs,

riding the horse to walk through here silently,

all i felt is the whistle of the autumn wind.

Withered grass stretched out to the skyline,

only the whine of wild geese i heard.

The hardship of the journey i don't fear,

hiding the yearning to write down poems silently,

all i hate is the disillusion of our love legend.

Tomorrow i'd go further with the heartbroken wine,

only the whisper of new rain i heard.

By Nalan Xingde

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