Summer Message to the Recluse of East Stream
- Poetry of Geng Wei

《夏日寄东溪隐者》
Summer Message to the Recluse of East Stream by Geng Wei
English Translation

Sun-glaze floats on wild waters clear,

Grass-green melts into skies austere.

Hills stand unchanged mile on mile,

Yet yearly life shifts its style.


Leisured fields beyond lone forts lie,

Scorching rains from lone clouds sigh.

My heart grieves worldly dust so deep,

No way to visit where fishers sleep.

Composed in midsummer, this poem finds Geng Wei immersed in nature's beauty while longing for a hermit's life. The "Recluse of East Stream" may refer to an old friend dwelling in mountain solitude, or perhaps an idealized embodiment of reclusion. Amid worldly clamor, the poet thinks of this distant figure in quiet woods, his heart swelling with envy and yearning. Part epistolary verse, part self-portrait, these lines articulate Geng Wei's weariness with mundane affairs and his thirst for retreat into nature.

中文原文( Chinese )

日华浮野水，草色合遥空。

处处山依旧，年年事不同。

闲田孤垒外，暑雨片云中。

惆怅多尘累，无由访钓翁。

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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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