Dedicated to Yuan Danqiu’s Mountain Home
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
My friend lives in the east mountain’s hold,
He loves the beauty here, be it new or old.
He sleeps in the woods in spring day bright,
And never rises till the sun is high.
The wind in the pines refreshes his breast;
The water in the rock cleans his ears and eyes.
I envy you from all worries a rest,
And pillow on the cloud in the blue skies.
This poem is Li Bai's tribute to his close friend Yuan Danqiu's mountain retreat life. Yuan, one of Li Bai's most important Taoist companions throughout his life, shared profound spiritual affinity with the poet. The work not only vividly depicts Yuan's transcendent recluse image but also deeply embodies Li Bai's own yearning for reclusive life and detachment from worldly turmoil.
故人栖东山，自爱丘壑美。
青春卧空林，白日犹不起。
松风清襟袖，石潭洗心耳。
羡君无纷喧，高枕碧霞里。
- 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.
- Villager's Song I
- Villager's Song II
- Villager's Song III
- The Ferry at Yiyang
- The Village Tavern
- Quatrain of Four Words: Deep Love, True Heart
- Mountain's End
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness