In the Desert
- Poetry of Cen Shen
《碛中作》
English Translation
Westward I ride, as if to the sky I'd go;
Two full moons seen since I left home below.
Where to lodge tonight? No place in sight —
But boundless sand, no soul in the dying light.
This poem was composed during Cen Shen's first expedition beyond the frontier (approximately 749-751 AD) and is a representative work of his early frontier poetry.
中文原文( Chinese )
走马西来欲到天，辞家见月两回圆。
今夜不知何处宿，平沙万里绝人烟。
- 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.