Song of a Southern Country
- Poetry of Wang Anshi

《南乡子·自古帝王州》
Song of a Southern Country by Wang Anshi
中文原文( Chinese )

自古帝王州，郁郁葱葱佳气浮。

四百年来成一梦，堪愁，晋代衣冠成古丘。

绕水恣行游。上尽层楼更上楼。

往事悠悠君莫问，回头。

槛外长江空自流。

English Translation

The capital was ruled by Kings since days gone by.

There rich green and lush gloom breathe a majestic sigh.

Like dreams has passed the reign of four hundred long years,Which calls forth tears:

Modern laureates are buried like their ancient peers.


Along the river I go where I will,Up city-walls and watch-towers I gaze my fill.

Do not ask what has passed without leaving a trail!

To what avail?

The endless river rolls in vain beyond the rail.

After the failure of his reforms,Wang An-shi resigned from the premiership and lived in seclusion at Jinling,ancient capital during nearly four hundred years(221-280;317-389;937-975).In this lyric he gives vent to his discontent about the actual state of things in the court.

- Last updated: 2024-03-22 20:54:35
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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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