Stormy Weather on Huai River
- Poetry of Fan Zhongyan

《赴桐庐郡淮上遇风·其一》

- Last updated: 2024-04-12 14:41:01

中文原文

一棹危于叶，傍观亦损神。

他时在平地，无忽险中人。

English Translation

A boat could be perilous as a leaf,

You will shock to look at shipside;

During the day you are on the land,

Never forget one's dangerous agony.

By Fan Zhongyan

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