Visiting the South Pavilion at Chongzhen Temple Where the Civil Service Exam Results Are Posted
- Poetry of Yu Xuanji

《游崇真观南楼，睹新及第题名处》

中文原文( Chinese )

云峰满目放春晴，历历银钩指下生。

自恨罗衣掩诗句，举头空羡榜中名。

English Translation

Cloudy mountains fill my gaze—

I think they enjoy the spring

under skillful fingers

great calligraphy is born

I wish my woman's clothing

didn't obscure my poems

raising my head in vain

admiring the names on the honor rolls.

Seven-character poem

- Last updated: 2024-05-23 13:26:07

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