Lyrics to the Joy of Peace and Tranquillity
- Poetry of Yan Shu

《清平乐·金风细细》

- Last updated: 2024-06-14 10:35:32

Lyrics to the Joy of Peace and Tranquillity by Yan Shu
中文原文

金风细细，叶叶梧桐坠。

绿酒初尝人易醉。

一枕小窗浓睡。

紫薇朱槿花残。斜阳却照阑干。

双燕欲归时节，银屏昨夜微寒。

English Translation

Autumnal winds soughingly sough,

Leaf by leaf phoenix trees its foliage drop.

A light savour of fermented barely wine can easily intoxicate,

Resting my head by a window I fall into a deep slumber.


Purple rosebushes and red roses of Sharon shrivel and wilt,

The setting sun on balustrades shines still.

The season has come for paired swallows to make their return,

Last night behind the silvery screen I felt a slight chill.

By Yan Shu

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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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