O faint and ruddy light, that from the sun’s low foot doth spill
In a moist, trembling sprinkle, while — beneath the laurel’s bough —
A thin frost, undissolved, upon the chilly branches lies still.
Yet a dim warmth, a breath almost, begins to disallow
The Winter’s rigid frown; and now the lengthening Day has won
His leave from the long Night — their ancient, silent treaty done.
日脚淡光红洒洒，薄霜不销桂枝下。
依稀和气排冬严，已就长日辞长夜。
This poem was composed by the mid-Tang poet Li He and is one piece from a series of poems. Li He's life was brief; he died young at the age of twenty-seven, yet with his uniquely extraordinary and magnificent poetic style, he carved a distinct niche in the poetic world, earning the name "Ghost of Poetry." This series was written for the Henan Prefectural Examination; it consists of twelve poems celebrating each month, depicting the seasonal changes throughout the year.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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View All Poets →CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts.