Horse Poems V
- Poetry of Li He

《马诗 · 其五》

English Translation

The desert sand looks white as snow;

The crescent moon hangs like a bow.

When would the steed in golden gear

Gallop all night through autumn clear?

This poem was written during a time of political turbulence in the Tang dynasty, around the periods of Zhenyuan and Yuanhe, which were marked by instability in the military governors' regions. Through this poem, the poet expresses his ambition to live freely and boldly on the frontier, while also conveying his desire and motivation to serve his country and achieve glory through military exploits.

中文原文( Chinese )

大漠沙如雪，燕山月似钩。

何当金络脑，快走踏清秋。

Pre： Drinking Song

Next：Song of an Old Jade-digger

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.

Horse Poems V - Poetry of Li He

Horse Poems V
- Poetry of Li He