Night Snow
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
《夜雪》
English Translation
I was surprised my quilt and pillow were cold,
I see that now the window's bright again.
Deep in the night, I know the snow is thick,
I sometimes hear the sound as bamboo snaps.
This poem is a snow ode in which the poet employs indirect description, depicting the ‘night snow’ through tactile, visual, sensory and auditory perspectives, thereby conveying the solitary melancholy of exile in Jiangzhou.
中文原文( Chinese )
已讶衾枕冷，复见窗户明。
夜深知雪重，时闻折竹声。
- 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.
Famous Chinese Poems
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Ten Odes on Tea Utensils: Tea Vale White Lotus
- Spring Thoughts II
- The Arcane Celadon of Yue Kiln
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song
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