The Southern Hall
- Poetry of Su Shi

《南堂(五首选二)》
The Southern Hall by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

其一

江上西山半隐堤，此邦台馆一时西。

南堂独有西南向，卧看千帆落浅溪。

其五

扫地焚香闭阁眠，簟纹如水帐如烟。

客来梦觉知何处，挂起西窗浪接天。

English Translation

I

The western hills are half hidden by river banks,

All the pavilions of this country face the west.

The Southern Hall has windows on the south and west flanks,

Abed,I see a thousand sails and waves with white crest.

Ⅱ

Floor swept,incense burning and doors closed,I lie flat 

In a mist-like curtain on a ripple-marked mat.

When a guest comes,I wake and wonder where am I,

West windows propp'd open,I see waves meet the sky.

In 1082,a friend travelling through Huangzhou on official business had had a little three-room addition built onto the poet's house at Lingao,which overlooked the Yangzi River,in order to make him more comfortable.It was called Southern Hall.

- Last updated: 2023-12-29 22:17:38
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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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