To Du Fu from Sand Hill Town
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《沙丘城下寄杜甫》

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 15:00:03

To Du Fu from Sand Hill Town by Li Bai (Li Po)
中文原文

我来竟何事，高卧沙丘城。

城边有古树，日夕连秋声。

鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。

思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征。

English Translation

Why have I come here after all

To live alone the whole day long?

There're but old trees by city wall,

From dawn till dusk but Autumn's song.

I can't be soothed by wine of Lu,

Nor moved by local melody.

Like River Wen I think of you,

Whose waves roll southward endlessly.

By Li Bai (Li Po)

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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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