The Crosswise River (One of Six Poems)
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《横江词 (六首选一)》

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 16:40:06

中文原文

人道横江好，侬道横江恶。

一风三日吹倒山，白浪高于瓦官阁。

English Translation

They say the Crosswise River good;

I say the Crosswise River rude.

If winds should blow three days,e'en hills would be blown down,

And waves rise higher than the Temple in the town.

The Temple was 240 feet in height,to the southwest of present-day Nanjing.

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