How lonely the courtyard is
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《蝶恋花》
How lonely the courtyard is by Ouyang Xiu
中文原文( Chinese )

庭院深深深几许？

杨柳堆烟，帘幕无重数。

玉勒雕鞍游冶处，楼高不见章台路。

雨横风狂三月暮，门掩黄昏，无计留春住。

泪眼问花花不语，乱红飞过秋千去。

English Translation

How lonely the courtyard is?

blue mist spreads the willow trees

like curtains after curtains,i don't know

how much do they have.

On the riverbank playboys ride the white horse,

where's my Prince charming?


Squall in March,rain suddenly comes,

close the door,think how to remain the spring.

fall the cherry flowers as leaves the sparrow,

i stand before the fallen petals,

tearfully ask 'em what i should do after you left?

Wind blows 'em up and over the swing they fly.

at home in view of the raging rain and the falling flowers which can bring her no consolation but pass away with the departing spring.This poem is also included in The Poetic Works of Feng Yan-si.

- Last updated: 2023-12-21 23:28:05
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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.

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