On the Lake
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《池上》

English Rendering

A little child paddles a little boat,

Drifting about, and picking white lotuses.

He does not know how to hide his tracks,

And duckweed's opened up along his path.

On the Lake by Bai Juyi
On the Lake by Bai Juyi

Original Text (中文原文)

小娃撑小艇,偷采白莲回。

不解藏踪迹,浮萍一道开。

Bai Juyi - On the Lake

Analysis & Context

By Bai Juyi

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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