Yiai Temple
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
Playing with pebbles by the rill,
Looking for flowers around the hill.
I hear birds sing now and again,
And springs all o’er the ground complain.
This poem was written between 815 and 818 AD, during the Yuanhe reign of Emperor Xianzong, a period when Bai Juyi served in the demoted post of Marshal of Jiangzhou. This demotion was a major setback in the poet's political career. However, in Jiangzhou, the majestic Mount Lu and its serene ancient temples provided him with a spiritual refuge and a space for mental healing. Yiai Temple is a product of this state of mind. It is not a grand ode to landscapes, but rather selects a few of the most ordinary moments from a corner of the mountain temple. Through a series of delicate actions and auditory experiences, it outlines the vivid process of how the poet, by immersing himself completely in nature and interacting with all things, finds inner peace. It is a miniature travelogue that embodies the concept of "poetic dwelling in exile."
弄石临溪坐，寻花绕寺行。
时时闻鸟语，处处是泉声。
- 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.