A Farewell to Cui
- Poetry of Pei Di

《送崔九（崔九欲往南山马上口号与别）》

中文原文( Chinese )

归山深浅去，须尽丘壑美。

莫学武陵人，暂游桃源里。

English Translation

Though you think to return to this maze of mountains,

Oh, let them brim your heart with wonder!....

Remember the fisherman from Wuling

Who had only a day in the Peach-Blossom Country.

Five-character-quatrain

- Last updated: 2024-05-10 21:32:42

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