Spring Outing, Coinciding with Rain
- Poetry of Zhang Xu

《春游值雨》
Spring Outing, Coinciding with Rain by Zhang Xu
中文原文( Chinese )

欲寻轩槛列清尊，江上烟云向晚昏。

须倩东风吹散雨，明朝却待入华园。

English Translation

I want to find a balcony with a railing for my wine jar.

On the river, clouds of mist rise up as day grows dark.

I'm waiting for a sweet east wind to blow the rain away

And waiting for the sun to rise to land on this green shore.

As a serious drinker, Zhang Xu knows his priorities. I'm doubtful that the wine will last till dawn. What I like most about his poetry is its, his, individual voice. He skips all of the common words and phrases that bang around inside so many poems of his time. He only uses them to make fun of them, I think.

- Last updated: 2024-11-10 11:26:52
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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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