Song of Picking Mulberry
- Poetry of Xin Qiji

《采桑子》

中文原文

少年不识愁滋味，爱上层楼。

爱上层楼，为赋新词强说愁。

而今识尽愁滋味，欲说还休。

欲说还休，却道天凉好个秋！

English Translation

While young,I knew no grief I could not bear,

I'd like to go upstair.

I'd like to go upstair

To write new verses,with a false despair.

I know what grief is now that I am old,

I would not have it told.

I would not have it told

But only say I'm glad that autumn's cold.

Thins lyric reveals implicitly the poet's grief of being unable to fulfil his ambition.

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 22:15:43

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