Willow leaves dance outside my attic
- Poetry of Zhu Shuzhen

《蝶恋花》

- Last updated: 2024-03-17 18:52:41

中文原文

楼外垂杨千万缕，欲系青春，少住春还去。

犹自风前飘柳絮，随春且看归何处？

绿满山川闻杜宇，便做无情，莫也愁人苦。

把酒送春春不语，黄昏却下潇潇雨。

English Translation

Willow leaves dance outside my attic,

seem to try to keep the spring staying,

but the spring just flits like an unfaithful lover.

Catkins of willow trees drift in the wind,

i feel so sad that don't know where they'll fall.

Little cuckoo flies in the green forest,

even she doesn't know how i feel,

she still weeps for my endless yearning.

I toast to this later spring but it's soundless,

suddenly in the twilight,rain drizzles on my heart garden.

By Zhu Shuzhen

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