Willow Catkins Over the Pond
- Poetry of Han Yu
《池上絮》
English Translation
Windless pond mirrors sunset’s glow,
Willow fluff drifts where sunbeams flow.
To kiss the clear surface they dare—
Trapped in endless wet, stranded there.
Composed during Han Yu's exile to Chaozhou (circa 819 CE) following his famous protest against Buddha's Bone Relic worship, this poem transforms a quiet waterside observation into an existential allegory. The willow catkins' doomed dance—hovering between air and water—becomes a mirror for the poet-official's own suspended state between principle and compromise, freedom and dissolution.
中文原文( Chinese )
池上无风有落晖，杨花晴后自飞飞。
为将纤质凌清镜，湿却无穷不得归。
- 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.
Famous Chinese Poems
- Pomegranate Blossoms at Zhang’s Lodge
- Willow Catkins Over the Pond
- Written for My Grandnephew at the Blue Pass
- South of Town I
- South of Town II
- Multi-Vista Tower at Sweet Dew Temple
- River Thoughts for Wang Anshi
- Bamboos by South Veranda
- The Condensed Incense Studio
- Ten Thousand Thoughts a Day
You May Also Like