The Spring Palace I
- Poetry of Du Mu
《过华清宫绝句 · 其一》
English Translation
Viewed from afar, the hill's paved with brocade in piles;
The palace doors on hilltops opened one by one.
A steed which raised red dust won the fair mistress' smiles.
How many steeds which brought her fruit died on the run!
This poem was written by Du Mu near the Huaqing Palace in Chang'an, describing the luxurious life of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and his concubine Yang Guifei. The Huaqing Palace was built during the Kaiyuan era by Emperor Xuanzong and became a place where the emperor and Yang Guifei indulged in pleasures. Through the depiction of the court life at the time, the poet portrays the emperor's boundless indulgence and extravagance.
中文原文( Chinese )
长安回望绣成堆，山顶千门次第开。
一骑红尘妃子笑，无人知是荔枝来。
Next：The Spring Palace II
- 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.