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》
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( Chinese )

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

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