On Meeting Li Guinian Down the River
- Poetry of Du Fu

《江南逢李龟年》

- Last updated: 2024-04-14 20:33:34

On Meeting Li Guinian Down the River by Du Fu
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。

English Translation

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.

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.

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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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