Spring South of the River
- Poetry of Du Mu

《江南春》

- Last updated: 2024-04-26 09:55:44

中文原文

千里莺啼绿映红，水村山郭酒旗风。

南朝四百八十寺，多少楼台烟雨中。

English Translation

Orioles call for a thousand li, green's reflected in the river;

Waterside village; hillside rampart; wine; a banner in the wind.

In the time of the southern dynasties, there were four hundred and eighty temples;

How many pavilions there are now in the mist and rain.

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