Temple of the Heroine
- Poetry of Du Mu
《题木兰庙》
English Translation
She played the role of a man bending his bow,
But she dreamed of penciling her eyebrow.
How many times, homesick, wine cup in hand,
Would she bless the princess of her homeland?
This poem was written by Du Mu while visiting Mulan Mountain, combining historical legends with personal emotional reflections. Mulan Mountain is linked with the folk tale of Mulan, and Du Mu uses this backdrop to express his admiration for Mulan's heroism as well as her feminine tenderness.
中文原文( Chinese )
弯弓征战作男儿，梦里曾经与画眉。
几度思归还把酒，拂云堆上祝明妃。
Next：The Spring Palace 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.