I drink the wine to listen to love song
- Poetry of Zhang Xian

《天仙子》
I drink the wine to listen to love song by Zhang Xian
中文原文( Chinese )

水调数声持酒听。

午醉醒来愁未醒。

送春春去几时回。

临晚镜。

伤流景。

往事后期空记省。

沙上并禽池上暝。

云破月来花弄影。

重重帘幕密遮灯，风不定。

人初静。

明日落红应满径。

English Translation

I drink the wine to listen to love song,

my mind gets clear but not my sorrow.

Those beautiful days has gone,will they come back?

Face the mirror,what a faded flower,

the love you gave me now is only in the memory.


On the seaside two birds snuggle together,

Pierces into cloud,moonshine sprinkles on lavenders.

turn off the candles,but my heart is still kindling for you.

Wind breezes me in this midnight,

tomorrow the fallen petals shall spread on the courtyard like snow.

Zhang Xian:张先(990-1078),he is a lyricist in Song dynasty.

- Last updated: 2024-03-17 18:54:57
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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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