Thinking of My Garden in Chang'an on the Double Ninth Festival
- Poetry of Cen Shen
I may exert myself to climb a mountain or hill,
But there's no one to supply me with wine.
I sorrow for the chrysanthemums in my own garden:
They must be blooming, but with the grim battlefield nearby.
The poem is titled "Ascending to the Heights at Chung Yeung", which expresses not the general holiday homesickness, but the worry about the state affairs and the deep concern about the people's hardship in the war.
The poem reflects the far-reaching impact of the An Lushan Rebellion on society and the lives of ordinary people.
Cen Can's five-character quatrain seems on the surface to describe the scene of ascending heights and drinking wine during the Double Ninth Festival. However, it profoundly conveys the poet's deep concern for the state of the nation and his empathy for the suffering of the people amidst the chaos of war. The poem reflects the far-reaching impact of the An Lushan Rebellion on society and the lives of ordinary people.
强欲登高去，无人送酒来。
遥怜故园菊，应傍战场开。
- 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.
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- Villager's Song II
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- The Village Tavern
- Quatrain of Four Words: Deep Love, True Heart
- Mountain's End
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses