Bamboo and Rock
- Poetry of Zheng Xie

《竹石》

中文原文( Chinese )

咬定青山不放松，立根原在破岩中。

千磨万击还坚劲，任尔东西南北风。

English Translation

Between broken rocks striking my root deep,

I bite the mountain green and won't let go.

From whichever direction the winds leap,

I remain strong, though dealt many a blow.

Zheng Banqiao

- Last updated: 2024-12-29 20:32:24

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