Crossing the Strait in June on the 20th Day
- Poetry of Su Shi

《六月二十日夜渡海》
Crossing the Strait in June on the 20th Day by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

参横斗转欲三更，苦雨终风也解晴。

云散月明谁点缀，天容海色本澄清。

空余鲁叟乘桴意，粗识轩辕奏乐声。

九死南荒吾不恨，兹游奇绝冠平生。

English Translation

The dark night is fading for the break of dawn,

The stars, Hunter and Dipper, dimming away.

At last the endless wind and rain come to an end,

Giving way to a bright moon and beaming waves; -

Free of murky haze, free of extras as contrast,

Just a pure world by nature, a serene seascape.

No regret for the deadly journey at world’s edge,

I’ve lived it to the fullest, to the most exotic quest;-

A real taste of Confucius floating life on the sea,

A rough touch of Xuanyuan’s music and philosophy.

It was the year 1100 when Dongpo was finally pardoned by the Emperor and granted a return to the north. The New Law and the New Party had met their limits. Su Shi and his followers were on the Court’s agenda again. He was 60 years old, wishing to settle at his favorite place Changzhou (常州) , away from the chaos of the political platform. Unfortunately, the 7-year hardship in the desolate south borders took its toll, leaving him only a year in this world. So this is one of the last poems he composed.

- Last updated: 2024-10-17 10:42:07
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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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