Spring Thoughts
- Poetry of Huangfu Ran

《春思》

- Last updated: 2024-05-08 20:41:50

中文原文

莺啼燕语报新年，马邑龙堆路几千。

家住层城临汉苑，心随明月到胡天。

机中锦字论长恨，楼上花枝笑独眠。

为问元戎窦车骑，何时返旆勒燕然。

English Translation

Finch-notes and swallow-notes tell the new year....

But so far are the Town of the Horse and the Dragon Mound

From this our house, from these walls and Han Gardens,

That the moon takes my heart to the Tartar sky.

I have woven in the frame endless words of my grieving....

Yet this petal-bough is smiling now on my lonely sleep.

Oh, ask General Dou when his flags will come home

And his triumph be carved on the rock of Yanran mountain!

Seven-character-regular-verse

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