After Finishing a Poem
- Poetry of Jia Dao

《题诗后》

English Translation

Those two lines cost me three years:

I chant them once and get two more, of tears.

Friend, if you don't like them…

I'll go home, and lie down,

in the ancient mountain autumn.

This is a five-character quatrain composed by Jia Dao, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The first two lines depict the arduous toil of poetic composition and the rarity of crafting fine verses, such that the poet cannot hold back his tears after completing the poem; the latter two lines express his hope that his friend will appreciate his work, revealing an undertone of self-assurance and even conceit.

中文原文( Chinese )

二句三年得，一吟双泪流。

知音如不赏，归卧故山秋。

Pre： The Swordsman

Next：A Letter Sent

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.

After Finishing a Poem - Poetry of Jia Dao

After Finishing a Poem
- Poetry of Jia Dao