Flower Shadow
- Poetry of Su Shi

《花影》
Flower Shadow by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

重重叠叠上瑶台，

几度呼童扫不开。

刚被太阳收拾去，

又教明月送将来。

English Translation

Shadow came in tiers on the blooming terrace.

I had servants sweep them away but in vain.

Thank goodness the setting sun took them off.

Yet, they are sent back by the moon again.

Imagine Dongpo in a tipsy mood after drinking a few bowls of wine with friends in a gracious garden in its fullest bloom. The place was showered in shimmering golden light except for the shadow which was getting bigger and longer as the sun was setting, as if attempting to overrule the flowers it relied on for existence. The greater value of this short poem is the implied message under the simple lines. It was written in 1076, shortly after Wang Anshi became the Prime Minister again to carry on with his New Law which had brought disaster to the people when it was first enacted. As a leader of the conservative party, Su Shi sighed: Not again!

- Last updated: 2024-10-04 21:45:41
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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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