Song of Qiupu XIII
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《秋浦歌 · 其十三》
English Translation
The water clear cleans the moonlight bright;
The moon bright, white egrets fly.
My man’s coming with the maid so fair,
Singing on their way home ’neath the moon bright.
This poem is the thirteenth in Li Bai's "Songs of the Autumn River" series, composed during his later travels in the Qiupu region. Having experienced life's vicissitudes, the poet found spiritual solace in Qiupu's landscape and its people's simple ways. Like an elegant ink-wash painting, the poem blends natural beauty with folk life through understated realism, showcasing a rare serene beauty in Li Bai's oeuvre that reflects his yearning for pure humanity and reverence for natural life.
中文原文( Chinese )
渌水净素月，月明白鹭飞。
郎听采菱女，一道夜歌归。
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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.