In the dream
- Poetry of Yan Jidao

《临江仙》

中文原文( Chinese )

梦后楼台高锁，酒醒帘幕低垂。

去年春恨却来时。

落花人独立，微雨燕双飞。

记得小蘋初见，两重心字罗衣。

琵琶弦上说相思。

当时明月在，曾照彩云归。

English Translation

In the dream,the red door of your home was closed.

after i woke up,beady curtains cover the scenery outside.

but i still remember how it looked at the day you left.

Stand alone i in the fallen cherry flowers,

fly both swallows in the misty spring rain.

Recall to the first date with you under the cherry tree,

you wore a blue shirt with a heart-shaped picture.

Now i play the lyre to confess how i feel about you.

That year,the bright moonshine and you came here,

until now,i still yearn the shadow of yours under the moonshine.

By Yan Jidao

- Last updated: 2024-03-17 18:57:12

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