At Li Ning’s Quiet Dwelling
- Poetry of Jia Dao
《题李凝幽居》This poem was composed by the Tang Dynasty poet Jia Dao, likely during his period of hardship in Chang'an after returning to secular life. Jia Dao became a monk in his youth, taking the Dharma name "Wuben" (Without origin). Later, he returned to secular life encouraged by Han Yu, but his official career was fraught with difficulty, marked by repeated examination failures and a life of poverty. He harbored a deep longing for a life of secluded dwelling in mountains and forests, often expressing his admiration for a reclusive existence in his poetry.
A quiet house, with scarcely a neighbor near;
A path through grasses to a garden left to sere.
Birds in the trees beside the pool are now at rest;
A monk knocks at the door, under the moon’s pale crest.
I cross the little bridge — the land’s wide hue I share;
I move a stone — the very roots of clouds stir there.
I go, but I shall come again. This be our vow,
Kept in the heart’s deep silence, as I leave you now.
闲居少邻并，草径入荒园。
鸟宿池边树，僧敲月下门。
过桥分野色，移石动云根。
暂去还来此，幽期不负言。
- 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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