A Feast on Peony Blooms at Lucky Temple
- Poetry of Su Shi

《吉祥寺赏牡丹》
A Feast on Peony Blooms at Lucky Temple by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

人老簪花不自羞，花应羞上老人头。

醉归扶路人应笑，十里珠帘半上钩。

English Translation

The street sees jolly gents arrayed with a twist.

Peony flowers style their grey hair with regrets.

They totter and stagger on their tipsy steps,

Bead curtains all semi-rolled to miles ahead.

Another good example of qijue (4-line poem with 7-character verse) which is very short but nothing short of ambition in exploring the theme to the maximum where the underlined message is far greater than four lines. A glimpse of a short moment on the street evoke in the readers’ mind a streaming of vivid imaginations about the festival – the romantic sentiments in Song’s lifestyle, the shared happiness of high-ranking officials with common people, the openness and freedom in the general governing attitude in Hangzhou. Su Shi was a celebrity but approachable, not hindered by pride and prejudice. He loved people, and was loved by people wherever he went. Today, he is probably most loved among contemporary readers as the best of what Great Song could offer.

- Last updated: 2024-10-05 20:07:47
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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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