Qing Ming
- Poetry of Wang Anshi

《清明》

中文原文( Chinese )

东城酒散夕阳迟，南陌秋千寂寞垂。

人与长瓶卧芳草，风将急管度青枝。

English Translation

The drinking ended on the east side of town,

the sun sets slow,

in southern fields a swing dangles

empty, alone.

Someone lies on fragrant grass

with a tall jug

as winds whistle through green twigs

like high-pitched pipes.

By Wang Anshi

- Last updated: 2024-07-01 09:28:03

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