At Hibiscus Inn Parting With Xin Jian
- Poetry of Wang Changling

《芙蓉楼送辛渐》

- Last updated: 2024-04-12 09:55:17

中文原文

寒雨连江夜入吴，平明送客楚山孤。

洛阳亲友如相问，一片冰心在玉壶。

English Translation

With this cold night-rain hiding the river, you have come into Wu.

In the level dawn, all alone, you will be starting for the mountains of Chu.

Answer, if they ask of me at Loyang:

"One-hearted as ice in a crystal vase."

Seven-character-quatrain

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