Parting II
- Poetry of Du Mu
《赠别·其二》
English Translation
How can a deep love seem deep love,
How can it smile, at a farewell feast?
Even the candle, feeling our sadness,
Weeps, as we do, all night long.
Seven-character-quatrain
Although it can’t be confirmed, instead of parting with a friend, Du Mu is parting with a now ex-lover. Saying that even though their love was deep it diminished into nothing, they can’t even fake a friendly smile so the candle weeps for them. This powerful poem expresses the pain in ending a special connection with someone you loved.
中文原文( Chinese )
多情却似总无情，唯觉樽前笑不成。
蜡烛有心还惜别，替人垂泪到天明。
Pre： Parting I
- 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.