A Confession
- Poetry of Du Mu
《遣怀》
English Translation
With my wine-bottle, watching by river and lake
For a lady so tiny as to dance on my palm,
I awake, after dreaming ten years in Yangzhou,
Known as fickle, even in the Street of Blue Houses.
Seven-character-quatrain
This poem was written around 850 AD during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. In his youth, Du Mu served as an aide in Yangzhou, where he indulged in a life of pleasure and excess. A decade later, looking back on those years, he deeply regretted his frivolous and indulgent lifestyle. This poem is a reflection on his past and a self-mocking critique, expressing both regret for wasted years and a lament for the fleeting nature of time and life.
中文原文( Chinese )
落魄江湖载酒行，楚腰纤细掌中轻。
十年一觉扬州梦，赢得青楼薄幸名。
Next：In the Autumn Night
- 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.