Returning to Songshan Mountain
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《归嵩山作》
Returning to Songshan Mountain by Wang Wei
English Translation

The limpid river, past its bushes

Running slowly as my chariot,

Becomes a fellow voyager

Returning home with the evening birds.

A ruined city-wall overtops an old ferry,

Autumn sunset floods the peaks.

...Far away, beside Mount Song,

I shall close my door and be at peace.

Five-character-regular-verse


中文原文( Chinese )
Simplified Chinese Version

清川带长薄,车马去闲闲。

流水如有意,暮禽相与还。

荒城临古渡,落日满秋山。

迢递嵩高下,归来且闭关。


Traditional Chinese Version

清川帶長薄, 車馬去閑閑。

流水如有意, 暮禽相與還。

荒城臨古渡, 落日滿秋山。

迢遞嵩高下, 歸來且閉關。

- Last updated: 2024-04-26 16:20:54
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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