Consoling Myself
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《自谴》
English Translation
With wine I sit until night veils the sky,
Till fallen blossoms pile on my robe high.
Drunk, I rise to stroll in moonlit streams;
Birds homeward fly and few men are seen.
This poem was composed after a solitary night drinking session, expressing the poet's serene intoxication amidst nature's tranquility. Through nocturnal imagery, it captures the comfort of mild inebriation tinged with subtle melancholy.
中文原文( Chinese )
对酒不觉暝，落花盈我衣。
醉起步溪月，鸟还人亦稀。
Pre： Song of Qiupu XV
- 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.