Too much have I decayed!
- Poetry of Xin Qiji

《贺新郎·甚矣吾衰矣》
Too much have I decayed! by Xin Qiji
中文原文( Chinese )

甚矣吾衰矣。

怅平生、交游零落，只今余几！

白发空垂三千丈，一笑人间万事。

问何物、能令公喜？

我见青山多妩媚，料青山见我应如是。

情与貌，略相似。

一尊搔首东窗里。

想渊明、停云诗就，此时风味。

江左沉酣求名者，岂识浊醪妙理。

回首叫、云飞风起。

不恨古人吾不见，恨古人、不见吾狂耳。

知我者，二三子。

English Translation

Alas, all my life I've seen friends and companions fall off,

And now how many of them survive?

With gray hair hanging in vain three thousand zhang long,

I laugh away all worldly things.

Is there anything left, you ask, that might cheer me?

I see in green mountains such charm allure,

I expect they see the same in me,

For in heart and in appearance

We are a bit similar.

Goblet in hand, scratching my head at the east window,

I presume that Tao Yuanming, having finished his poem

Hovering Clouds,

Was in the same mood I am now.

Those on the south side of the Yangtze who play drunkard

in pursuit of fame,

How could they know the magic of unstrained wine?

Looking back, I'll conjure a gust of wind

and send clouds flying.

I regret not that I can't meet the ancients,

But that the ancients had no chance to see my wildness.

Those who understand me

Number only two or three.

By Xin Qiji

- Last updated: 2024-02-23 11:13:38
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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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