A Light Boat With Short Oars (Picking Mulberries)
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《采桑子·轻舟短棹西湖好》

中文原文( Chinese )

轻舟短棹西湖好，绿水逶迤，芳草长堤，隐隐笙歌处处随，

无风水面琉璃滑，不觉船移，微动涟漪，惊起沙禽掠岸飞。

English Translation

A light boat with short oars- West Lake is good.

A gentle curve in the green water,

Fragrant grass along the dyke,

The faint sound of pipes and song follows me everywhere.

Without a wind, the water's surface lies as smooth as glaze.

I don't notice boats passing,

Tiny movements start up ripples,

Startled birds rise from the sand and graze the bank in flight.

By Ouyang Xiu

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 17:07:42

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