Song of Qiupu XII
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《秋浦歌 · 其十二》
English Translation
The water spreads out like a bolt of silk white;
The boundless lake seems to rise to Heaven’s height.
We may float on the water ‘neath the moon bright
And gaze on flowers aboard a boat with wine.
This sixth poem in Li Bai's seventeen "Song of Qiupu" stands out for its transcendent clarity amidst the series' prevailing melancholy. While the collection largely expresses aging and unfulfilled ambitions, this piece emerges like a fresh breeze, capturing a moonlit boat ride on Pingtian Lake that reveals the poet's spiritual solace and momentary unity with nature following political disillusionment.
中文原文( Chinese )
水如一匹练，此地即平天。
耐可乘明月，看花上酒船。
Next：Song of Qiupu XIII
- 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.