On Hearing the News that My Friend Bai Juyi Is Relegated to Jiujiang
- Poetry of Yuan Zhen

《闻乐天授江州司马》

By Yuan Zhen

English Translation

The going-out lamp seems flameless, looms dim and flickering;

This evening I hear my friend’s relegated to Jiujiang,

Which makes me startled and sit up although I am dying,

Into my window a dark wind with a cold rain blows strong.

中文原文( Chinese )

残灯无焰影幢幢，此夕闻君谪九江。

垂死病中惊坐起，暗风吹雨入寒窗。

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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