Drinking Alone
- Poetry of Du Mu

《独酌》

- Last updated: 2024-03-18 15:04:38

中文原文

窗外正风雪，拥炉开酒缸。

何如钓船雨，篷底睡秋江。

English Translation

Outside the window, wind and snow blow straight,

I clutch the stove and open a flask of wine.

Just like a fishing boat in the rain,

Sail down, asleep on the autumn river.

By Du Mu

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.

List of Chinese poets