Immortal at the magpie Bridge-Farewell on Double Seventh Eve
- Poetry of Su Shi

《鹊桥仙·七夕送陈令举》
Immortal at the magpie Bridge-Farewell on Double Seventh Eve by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

缑山仙子，

高清云渺，

不学痴牛騃女。

凤箫声断月明中，

举手谢、时人欲去。 


客槎曾犯，

银河微浪，

尚带天风海雨。

相逢一醉是前缘，

风雨散、飘然何处？

English Translation

Like the immortal leaving the crowd,

Wafting above the cloud,

Unlike the Cowherd and the Maid who fond remain,

You blow your flute in moonlight,

Waving your hand,you go in flight.


Your boat will go away 

Across the Milky Way,

In celestial wind and rain.

We've met and drunk as if by fate.

Where will you waft when wind and rain abate?

According to Chinese myth,the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid are two lover-stars separated by the Milky Way,who would meet once every year on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh moon.But this lyric is a farewell poem of two friends on that eve.

The unique and lofty perspective on the theme of a Lover’s day makes this poem very tasty indeed.

- Last updated: 2024-10-02 16:28:58
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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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