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- Poetry of Shangguan Wan'er

《游长宁公主流杯池·其一》

By Shangguan Wan'er

English Translation

Propped on my staff, I looked over wispy peaks,

Then with hazardous pace descended frosty trails.

My goals grew serene the deeper I went in the hills,

I strayed on the path that bent with the mountain stream.

Slowly I sensed detachment in my soul,

And noticed at once how fogs were sinking low.

Be not dismayed I wrote upon that tree

It was because I cherished this hidden rest.

中文原文( Chinese )

策杖临霞岫，危步下霜蹊。

志逐深山静，途随曲涧迷。

渐觉心神逸，俄看云雾低。

莫怪人题树，只为赏幽栖。

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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