A Sigh in the Court of Perpetual Faith
- Poetry of Wang Changling

《長信怨》

中文原文( Chinese )

奉帚平明金殿开，暂将团扇共徘徊。

玉颜不及寒鸦色，犹带昭阳日影来。

English Translation

She brings a broom at dawn to the Golden Palace doorway

And dusts the hall from end to end with her round fan,

And, for all her jade-whiteness, she envies a crow

Whose cold wings are kindled in the Court of the Bright Sun.

Folk-song-styled-verse

- Last updated: 2024-03-16 21:14:47

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