A Small Pond
- Poetry of Yang Wanli

《小池》

Composed in 1176 at Yang Wanli's ancestral home in Jishui, Jiangxi, this quatrain exemplifies the "Chengzhai Style"—finding cosmic wonder in microcosm. Written during early summer when lotus buds first pierced the water and dragonflies hovered, the poem transforms a mundane household pond into a theater of ecological intimacy through personification and kinetic precision.

English Translation

From fountainheads water streaks out thin and quiet.

Soft and Sunny are trees reflected in the pond.

A slim lotus leaf, not yet unfurled, scarcely appears

When on its pointed tip a dragonfly is alighted.

中文原文( Chinese )

泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔。

小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头。

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.

Famous Chinese Poems

A Small Pond - Poetry of Yang Wanli

A Small Pond
- Poetry of Yang Wanli