Climbing a Tall Building on an Autumn Evening: I Gaze to Where the South River Touches the Shih-hsing Road
- Poetry of Zhang Jiuling

《秋晚登楼望南江入始兴郡路》

- Last updated: 2024-03-31 16:09:43

Climbing a Tall Building on an Autumn Evening: I Gaze to Where the South River Touches the Shih-hsing Road by Zhang Jiuling
中文原文

潦收沙衍出，霜降天宇晶。

伏槛一长眺，津途多远情。

思来江山外，望尽烟云生。

滔滔不自辨，役役且何成。

我来飒衰鬓，孰云飘华缨。

枥马苦踡跼，笼禽念遐征。

岁阴向晼晚，日夕空屏营。

物生贵得性，身累由近名。

内顾觉今是，追叹何时平。

English Translation

Streaming rivulets draw back, sandflats emerge,

Frost comes down, the sky’s vault, crystalline.

Hunched at the railing, I gaze long and far,

Path and ford draw many emotions of distant places.

Longing comes from beyond the rivers and mountains;

Where my gaze breaks off, clouds and mists arise.

A rolling flood where nothing is distinct—

Oh, what is accomplished from all this constant toil?

I came here, wind shaking my frail white locks,

No one could say it shook ribbons of high office.

A stabled horse suffering cramped restraints,

A caged bird longing for faraway journeys.

The year grows ever darker toward its close.

At the end of day, a pointless restlessness.

All living creatures value fulfilling their natures,

The bonds upon my body grow from recent fame.

I look back, find I’m truly right now—

But when will ease come for sorrow at what is past?

By Zhang Jiuling

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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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