Lament of a Fair Lady
- Poetry of Su Shi

《昭君怨·送别》

中文原文( Chinese )

谁作桓伊三弄，惊破绿窗幽梦？

新月与愁烟，满江天。

欲去又还不去，明日落花飞絮。

飞絮送行舟，水东流。

English Translation

Who's playing on the flute a gloomy tune;

Breaking the green window's dreary dream?

The dreary mist veils the new moon.

Outspread in the sky over the stream.

You linger still though you must go.

Afraid flowers and willow down will fall tomorrow.

How could the stream not eastward flow?

Let willow down follow your boat laden with sorrow!

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- Last updated: 2024-03-23 17:12:48

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.

List of Chinese poets