Tune: Jui-ho hsien- The Fisherman
- Poetry of Zheng Xie

《瑞鹤仙·渔家》
Tune: Jui-ho hsien- The Fisherman by Zheng Xie
中文原文( Chinese )

风波江上起，系扁舟绿杨，红杏村里。

羡渔娘风味，总不施脂粉，略加梳洗。

野花插髻，便胜似宝钗香珥。

乍呼郎撒网鸣榔，一棹水天无际。


美利，蒲筐包蟹，竹笼装虾，柳条穿鲤。

市城不远，朝日去，午归矣。

并携来一瓮谁家美酝，人与沙鸥同醉。

卧苇花一片茫茫，夕阳千里。

English Translation

When wind and waves rise upon the river,

They tie the little boat to a green willow tree,

In the village of red apricot blossoms.

How I envy the fisherwoman's air:

She uses no rouge or powder,

Only occasionally works her hair.

A wild flower on her bun

Surpasses any jeweled earring or hairpin.

Suddenly she calls her man to toss the net, sound the rattle,

And they row the boundless river-sky.


The profit's good.

Rush bags encase their crabs,

Bamboo baskets hold their shrimp,

And willow strands string their carp.

The city's not far away:

Go there in the morning,

Be back at noon.

They bring along a vast of someone's fine brew:

Men and gulls get drunk together,

Lying among blossoming reeds, a vast stretch of white,

And miles and miles of setting sun.

By Zheng Xie

- Last updated: 2024-04-18 10:04:40
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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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