Trying to Put a Small Mountain Down on Paper
- Poetry of Xu Hui

《拟小山篇》
Trying to Put a Small Mountain Down on Paper by Xu Hui
中文原文( Chinese )

仰幽岩而流盼，抚桂枝以凝想。

将千龄兮此遇，荃何为兮独往。

English Translation

Gazing up at a distant crag, exchanging loving glances.

I ate some cassia bark to help me calm my mind.

If I live to be a thousand, will we ever meet like this?

Why this fragrance as I go my way alone?

In this poem, she seems amorously wistful, wishful, exchanging glances with someone who isn't even there. Although as an imperial consort, she is not up in the mountains alone. She would have female attendants and male escorts. But she wishes someone particular were here.

- Last updated: 2024-11-18 19:46:28
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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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