My Visit to Pingshan Hall
- Poetry of Su Shi

《西江月·平山堂》
My Visit to Pingshan Hall by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

三过平山堂下，半生弹指声中。

十年不见老仙翁，壁上龙蛇飞动。

欲吊文章太守，仍歌杨柳春风。

休言万事转头空，未转头时皆梦。

English Translation

This is my third visit to his Pingshan Hall.

In a snap of fingers my life’s already half short.

He’s absent for ten years, gone to heaven.

Yet his cursive on the wall lives a flying dragon.

 

In memory of the mayor who left great writings,

We sing his ci ‘weeping willows in spring wind’.

Don’t say all things are nothing upon one’s leaving.

I’d say life’s but a dream even before one’s leaving.

It was likely 1084 when Dongpo visited his favorite place again.  He was at last released from his banishment at Haungzhou, now on his way north.  Lord Ouyang had been a great influence on Su Shi ever since the young lad entered the Imperial Exam. The last couplet reflects the Buddist realization that the world we see is just illusion.

- Last updated: 2024-10-11 20:44:09
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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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