Reading Yuan Zhen's Poems in a Boat
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
《舟中读元九诗》
English Translation
I read your book of poetry by the lamplight,
And finish it when oil burns low at dead of night.
Eyes sore, I blow the light out and sit in the dark;
The waves brought up by adverse wind beat on the bark.
This poem was written in September 815 during Bai Juyi’s journey to assume his post as a Sima in Jiangzhou. Amidst political setbacks and personal struggles, Bai Juyi found solace in reading his close friend Yuan Zhen's poetry. Through the vivid depiction of reading by lamplight, the poem reflects his profound longing for his friend and his emotional response to his challenging circumstances.
中文原文( Chinese )
把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明。
眼痛灭灯犹暗坐，逆风吹浪打船声。
- 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.