The song of a boatwoman in Yue Kingdom
- Poetry of Pre-Qin Poetry

《越人歌》

- Last updated: 2024-03-22 16:11:21

中文原文

今夕何夕兮，搴舟中流。

今日何日兮，得与王子同舟。

蒙羞被好兮，不訾诟耻。

心几烦而不绝兮，得知王子。

山有木兮木有枝，心悦君兮君不知。

English Translation

What a day it is?Row a boat on Changjiang river.

What a day it is?Rove with the prince at here.

Humble prince,treats me as a gem.

Hushful heart,beats with an adagio.

Twigs on the trees,trees on the hill,oh,

My prince,why doesn't you find how i think of you?

By Anonymous

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