Visiting Temples on the Dragon Boat Festival
- Poetry of Su Shi

《端午遍游诸寺得禅字》
Visiting Temples on the Dragon Boat Festival by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

肩舆任所适，遇胜辄留连。

焚香引幽步，酌茗开静筵。

微雨止还作，小窗幽更妍。

盆山不见日，草木自苍然。

忽登最高塔，眼界穷大千。

卞峰照城郭，震泽浮云天。

深沉既可喜，旷荡亦所便。

幽寻未云毕，墟落生晚烟。

归来记所历，耿耿清不眠。

道人亦未寝，孤灯同夜禅。

English Translation

I go sight-seeing in my sedan-chair 

And stop where there's a scenic spot to see.

Burning incense attracts me to go where 

I may have vegetable feast and tea.

The gentle rain stops and then starts again,

The little window looks gloomy and clean.

Shut out from sunlight by the hills,the plain 

Is overspread with grass and trees so green.

When I ascend the peak'd pagoda,all 

The boundless land extends before my eyes.

The Northern Peak o'erlooks the city wall;

On the Lake Zhenze float the cloudy skies.

A quiet place affords me keen delight;

In space immense I feel under no yoke.

Still looking for some more secluded sight,

I see from villages rise evening smoke.

Come back,I write down my impression deep,

Musing o'er it,I pass a sleepless night.

Nor do the devoted monks take their sleep,

They sit in meditation by lamplight.

By Su Shi

- Last updated: 2024-03-23 14:26:19
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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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