The Ruin of the Capital of Yue
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《越中览古》

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 16:48:01

中文原文

越王勾践破吴归，义士还家尽锦衣。

宫女如花满春殿，只今惟有鹧鸪飞。

English Translation

The King of Yue returned,having destroyed the foe,

His loyal men came home,with silken dress aglow,

His palace thronged with flower-like ladies fair;

Now we see but a frock of partridges flying there.

The King of Yue destroyed the kingdom of Wu in the 5th century B.C.

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