A Hymn to Spring Night
- Poetry of Su Shi

《春宵》
A Hymn to Spring Night by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

春宵一刻值千金，

花有清香月有阴。

歌管楼台声细细，

秋千院落夜沈沈。

English Translation

The spring night values a thousand in real gold. -

Bustling blossoms revel in refreshing fragrance,

With dreaming moonlight roving the secret grove.

Rhyming with the scented air is a song so sweet, -

A flute melody from the floodlit tower and terrace,

Rippling past a garden swing to my spring dream.

The first line has become a famous saying often used to emphasize how much we should cherish a budding spring night, usually implying sensual enjoyments for lovers.  The romantic vibes stream vividly from a blooming garden gilded by the soft and serene moonlight, to the captivating music, through the empty swing, and further to his sweet dream. Now your imagination is taking you beyond, wondering about the beauty that was giggling on the swing and smiling in his dream…

- Last updated: 2024-10-09 20:09:50
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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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