To my husband
- Poetry of Yu Xuanji

《江陵愁望寄子安》

- Last updated: 2024-05-16 11:07:45

中文原文

枫叶千枝复万枝，江桥掩映暮帆迟。

忆君心似西江水，日夜东流无歇时。

English Translation

Maple forest near the river,leaves turn red.

i wait for you coming back on the Bridge.

My love to you is like the riverwater which

runs towards the east without an end.

By Yu Xuanji

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