On the Gardens at Xinghua Temple
- Poetry of Jia Dao

《题兴化寺园亭》

#Temple #Gardens

This poem was composed by the Tang Dynasty poet Jia Dao, most likely during the Taihe era (827-835) of Emperor Wenzong's reign. Jia Dao's life was marked by official frustration; he became a monk in his youth and, though he later returned to secular life, repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. He lived in hardship in Chang'an for a long time, giving him direct observation and deep insight into the arrogance and extravagance of the powerful and the suffering of the common people.

English Translation

To build one pond, a thousand homes you raze;

Forgo the useful trees for roses’ vain parades.

But autumn comes, the rose its glory sheds,

And all the court with thorny ruin spreads.

中文原文( Chinese )

破却千家作一池，不栽桃李种蔷薇。

蔷薇花落秋风起，荆棘满庭君始知。

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

On the Gardens at Xinghua Temple - Poetry of Jia Dao

On the Gardens at Xinghua Temple
- Poetry of Jia Dao