Inscribed on Duke Su Xu's Forest Pavilion
- Poetry of Han Hong
《题苏许公林亭》
English Translation
Though the East Pavilion stands grand in state,
Here, we seek the Bamboo Grove’s quiet date.
Through ten thousand leaves—autumn’s whispery choir,
A thousand homes bask in sunset’s fire.
The gate grows still as the deep lane’s embrace,
Through the window—distant bells with unhurried grace.
Where moss creeps soft o’er the guesthouse floor,
Lingering, I brush this verse once more.
This poem was composed during the poet's visit to the forest pavilion of Duke Xu of Suzhou, depicting the serene autumn scenery of the pavilion and expressing profound contemplative emotions. Through delicate landscape descriptions, the poet conveys his love for natural environments and yearning for reclusive living.
中文原文( Chinese )
平津东阁在，别是竹林期。
万叶秋声里，千家落照时。
门随深巷静，窗过远钟迟。
客舍苔生处，依依又赋诗。
- 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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