Living in a Village
- Poetry of Gao Ding

《村居》

"Living in a Village" (《村居》), in Four-line poems of the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (Translated in English)

Children return home in haste after school,Eager to fly kites when there is yet wind.

English Translation

Orioles fly over tall grasses in second-month weather;

Willows sweep the riverbank, intoxicated with mist.

Children return home in haste after school,

Eager to fly kites when there is yet wind.

中文原文( Chinese )

草长莺飞二月天，拂堤杨柳醉春烟。

儿童散学归来早，忙趁东风放纸鸢。

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.

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