English Rendering
The drinking ended on the east side of town,
the sun sets slow,
in southern fields a swing dangles
empty, alone.
Someone lies on fragrant grass
with a tall jug
as winds whistle through green twigs
like high-pitched pipes.
Qing Ming
Poetry of Wang Anshi
《清明》
Original Text (中文原文)
东城酒散夕阳迟，南陌秋千寂寞垂。
人与长瓶卧芳草，风将急管度青枝。
Meaning & Analysis
By Wang Anshi
Related Themes
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
- Ascending the Flying Peak
- On the River
- Spring Lament: Rain on Southern Trees
- Northern Slope Apricot Blossoms
- The Courier Station at Ge Creek
- The Northern Hills
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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