Song on the River
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
In a ship of spice-wood with unsinkable oars,
Musicians at both ends,we drift along the shores.
We have sweet wine with singing girls to drink our fill,
And so the waves may carry us where'er they will.
Immortals could not fly without their yellow crane;
Unselfish men might follow white gulls to the main.
The verse of Qu Ping shines as bright as sun and moon,
While palaces of Chu vanish like dreams at noon.
Seeing my pen in verve,even the mountains shake;
Hearing my laughter proud,the seaside hermits wake.
If worldly fame and wealth were things to last forever,
Then northwestward would turn the eastward-flowing river.
Qu Yuan(340-270 B.C.)was a loyal minister and great poet in the state of Chu.
This poem was composed by Li Bai during his travels in Jiangxia (modern-day Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei). There are two different claims regarding the exact time of its creation—one placing it in the 22nd year of Emperor Xuanzong’s Kaiyuan era (734) and the other in the 2nd year of Emperor Suzong’s Qianyuan era (759). At the time, the poet was discontented with the constrained realities of the world, and thus, through the grand act of reveling on the river, he expressed his disdain for worldly fame and his longing for a life of freedom.
木兰之枻沙棠舟，玉箫金管坐两头。
美酒樽中置千斛，载妓随波任去留。
仙人有待乘黄鹤，海客无心随白鸥。
屈平辞赋悬日月，楚王台榭空山丘。
兴酣落笔摇五岳，诗成笑傲凌沧洲。
功名富贵若长在，汉水亦应西北流。
- 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.
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Ten Odes on Tea Utensils: Tea Vale White Lotus
- Spring Thoughts II
- The Arcane Celadon of Yue Kiln
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song