Lamentations Ⅰ
- Poetry of Wang Can

《七哀诗-其一》
Lamentations Ⅰ by Wang Can
中文原文( Chinese )

西京乱无象，豺虎方遘患。

复弃中国去，委身适荆蛮。

亲戚对我悲，朋友相追攀。

出门无所见，白骨蔽平原。

路有饥妇人，抱子弃草间。

顾闻号泣声，挥涕独不还。

“未知身死处，何能两相完？”

驱马弃之去，不忍听此言。

南登霸陵岸，回首望长安。

悟彼下泉人，喟然伤心肝！

English Translation

As the western capital falls to civil strife,

Usurpers grab for power,ruining life.

I'll leave the mid-land for a second time,

Seeking shelter in the southern clime.

Full of sorrow are my kith and kin,

Ready to follow me through thick and thin.

Along the way,nothing may be found,

Nothing but dried bones that dot the ground.


I see a hungry woman on the way 

Discard her son amid the grass and hay.

From behind me comes a weep and cry 

Of the woman moaning loud her reason why:

"As I myself know not where I shall die,

How are we to keep the maternal tie?"


I gallop past the woman in great haste,

Nor bear nor hear the words of bitter taste.

When I reach the tomb of Emperor Wen,

I look back at abandoned Chang'an again.

With the poem Spring Waters in my mind,

I'm sad for lack of kings so wise and kind.

Wang Can was one of the Seven Scholars of the Jian'an Period and ranked the highest in literary achievements.His poetry and verse prose were both tinged with griev-ance.For instance,Lamentations for the people's deep sufferings from the wars and disturbances presents a pitiable picture of the world that lin-gers in the readers'hearts.

- Last updated: 2024-09-02 15:39:22
· Pre： Boudoir Thoughts
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

© 2024 CN-Poetry.com Chinese Poems in English