A Love Poem
- Poetry of Zhang Hua

《情诗-其三》

中文原文( Chinese )

清风动帷帘，晨月照幽房。

佳人处遐远，兰室无容光。

襟怀拥虚景，轻衾覆空床。

居欢惜夜促，在蹙怨宵长。

拊枕独啸叹，感慨心内伤。

English Translation

A light wind stirs curtain and shutter,

Morning moon brightens my lonely room.

My love is dwelling very far away,

And my poor chamber is devoid of brightness.

I clutch an insubstantial shadow to my breast,

A light quilt covers my empty bed.

In happier times I lamented the shortness of the night,

But now, in misery, I hate it for its length.

Grasping my pillow, alone I moan and sigh,

Feelings of sorrow cutting deep into my heart.

By Zhang Hua

- Last updated: 2024-06-25 21:07:45

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