ORCHID AND orANGE I
- Poetry of Zhang Jiuling

《感遇其二》

中文原文( Chinese )

兰叶春葳蕤，桂华秋皎洁。

欣欣此生意，自尔为佳节。

谁知林栖者，闻风坐相悦。

草木有本心，何求美人折。

English Translation

Tender orchid-leaves in spring

And cinnamon- blossoms bright in autumn

Are as self- contained as life is,

Which conforms them to the seasons.

Yet why will you think that a forest-hermit,

Allured by sweet winds and contented with beauty,

Would no more ask to-be transplanted

THan Would any other natural flower?

Five-character-ancient-verse

- Last updated: 2024-04-18 23:28:49

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