English Rendering
My native land's far, far away,
My nostalgia grows day by day.
Alone on rainy autumn night
I hear homing wild geese in flight.
On Hearing Homing Wild Geese
- Poetry of Wei Yingwu
《闻雁》Original Text (中文原文)
故园眇何处，归思方悠哉。
淮南秋雨夜，高斋闻雁来。
Analysis & Context
Composed in 783 AD during Emperor Dezong's reign when Wei Yingwu served as the demoted governor of Chuzhou, this poem emerges from an autumn night's contemplation. Sitting alone in his elevated studio amidst rainy darkness, the poet hears distant wild geese cries that stir profound nostalgia for his homeland.
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.
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- On Hearing Homing Wild Geese
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- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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