Tune: Song of Mountain Pass and River
- Poetry of Zhou Bangyan

《关河令·秋阴时晴渐向暝》

中文原文( Chinese )

秋阴时晴渐向暝，变一庭凄冷。

伫听寒声，云深无雁影。

更深人去寂静，但照壁孤灯相映。

酒已都醒，如何消夜永！

English Translation

Autumn’s now cloudy and now fine,

Gradually on the decline.

It turns dreary and chill

In a courtyard still.

I stand to listen to cold breeze;

In thick clouds I see no wild geese.

No one is left deep in the silent night,

But lonely candle sheds on lonely walls its light.

Awake from wine and autumn song,

How can I pass this endless night so long?

By Zhou Bangyan

- Last updated: 2024-07-12 15:23:46

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