The Call of the Cuckoo
- Poetry of Wei Yingwu

《子规啼》

- Last updated: 2024-04-16 18:38:33

中文原文

高林滴露夏夜清，南山子规啼一声。

邻家孀妇抱儿泣，我独展转何时明。

English Translation

Dew drips from tall trees on a clear summer night

in the hills to the south a cuckoo calls

the window next door comforts her child

I turn in bed and wait for first light

By Wei Yingwu

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