Lyrics to Sandy Creek Washers
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《浣溪沙·堤上游人逐画船》

- Last updated: 2024-06-16 10:11:48

Lyrics to Sandy Creek Washers by Ouyang Xiu
中文原文

堤上游人逐画船，拍堤春水四垂天。

绿杨楼外出秋千。

白发戴花君莫笑，六幺催拍盏频传。

人生何处似尊前！

English Translation

Tourists by the banks ornate boats in the water follow,

Against the banks lap spring waters that seem to overflow from the sky,

From the buildings by the green willows swings often sway over wall height.


Laugh not at the grey-haired with flowers pinned to their locks,

The cadence of music is hurrying the passing of cups of alcohol,

There's no better place than being in front of drinks in life.

By Ouyang Xiu

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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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