To the Tune of Yü-chia ao - Evening of the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month of the Year
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《渔家傲·七夕》

中文原文( Chinese )

喜鹊填河仙浪浅，云軿早在星桥畔。

街鼓黄昏霞尾暗，炎光敛，金钩侧倒天西面。

一别经年今始见，新欢往恨知何限。

天上佳期贪眷恋，良宵短，人间不合催银箭。

English Translation

The magpies fill the Milky Way, the fairy waves are shallow.

The cloud-chariot is already by the Star Bridge.

With the fading end of the twilight glow

The street drum announces the hour.

The bright daylight shrinks.

To the west of the sky a golden crescent hangs tiltedly.

Parted for a whole year, they now meet again.

Where do old woes and new joy end?

Treasure this joyful period in Heaven,

The good night is short.

On earth, the silver-marker of the water-clock should not be urging time on men!

By Ouyang Xiu

- Last updated: 2024-07-18 10:19:57

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