Written in the Night of New Year’s Eve
- Poetry of Gao Shi

《除夜作》

- Last updated: 2024-03-15 16:39:41

中文原文

旅馆寒灯独不眠，客心何事转凄然。

故乡今夜思千里，霜鬓明朝又一年。

English Translation

In the cold of the tavern lamplight, unslept, alone am I;

This heart of mine, in sojourn, turned sad, O why? I sigh.

Tonight, O I wish I were home, yet a thousand miles away;

Come tomorrow, my hair grayed, another year’s gone by!

Translated by Andrew W.F. Wong (Huang Hongfa)

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