Looking at Mountains from the River Boat
- Poetry of Su Shi

《江上看山》
Looking at Mountains from the River Boat by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

船上看山如走马，倏忽过去数百群：

前山槎牙忽变态，后岭杂沓如惊奔。

仰看微径斜缭绕，上有行人高飘渺。

舟中举手欲与言，孤帆南去如飞鸟。

English Translation

From our boat the mountains run like horses,

Galloping past, by hundreds, on both shores.

Ahead, they change forms in all directions;

Behind, they herd wildly towards heavens.

The paths and trails mark a maze of webbing,

Where the travellers in the mist are drifting.

I try to wave, to make myself understood,

But I’m off southward like a bird on high wind.

It was a time of success. It was a time of loss. In 1057, Su Shi actually came out first in the Imperial Examination at a young age of 21, an immediate success well-known throughout the country. His younger brother Su Zhe (aged 19) was on the top list as well. Emperor Renzong had an exceptional favour for the two brothers, ready to offer them good posts in the Royal Court. As if things went too well for them, they received the sad news of their mother’s death in April. The recognized morale etiquettes and rules since the Han Dynasty require every gentleman to stay close to the parent’s tomb, finishing a mourning period of 27 months, during which no wedding, no official commitment, and no entertainment allowed. This tradition was very strict in the Song, later fading away in the Ming and Qing. So we have very little record of the Su family for this period, at Meizhou in Sichuan mountains, till July 1059 when the two brothers all moved to the Capital with their father.

- Last updated: 2024-10-23 09:58:47
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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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