English Rendering
I met you often when you were visiting princes
And when you were playing in noblemen's halls.
...Spring passes.... Far down the river now,
I find you alone under falling petals.
On Meeting Li Guinian Down the River
- Poetry of Du Fu
《江南逢李龟年》
Original Text (中文原文)
Simplified Chinese Version
岐王宅里寻常见，催九堂前几度闻。
正是江南好风景，落花时节又逢君。
---------------------------------------
Traditional Chinese Version
岐王宅裡尋常見， 崔九堂前幾度聞。
正是江南好風景， 落花時節又逢君。
Analysis & Context
Seven-character-quatrain
This poem dates from 770. Li Guinian was a musician at the court of emperor Xuanzong.
The language of the poem is very simple, but the meaning is very far-reaching and full of connotation, containing a very rich content of social life, expressing the feeling of the waning of the world and the desolation and dislocation of life.
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.
- Eastern Hamlet, Northern Slope
- My Neighbor South
- By Waterside I
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
The Masters' Directory
Journey through the dynasties. Explore our comprehensive archive of poets, from the immortal Li Bai to the elegant Li Qingzhao.
View All Poets →