Wind
- Poetry of Li Qiao

《风》

- Last updated: 2024-04-16 18:50:30

中文原文

解落三秋叶，能开二月花。

过江千尺浪，入竹万竿斜。

English Translation

In the third month of autumn it blows down the leaves,

It can open up the second month's flowers.

On the river, waves of a thousand feet,

Among the bamboo, ten thousand dry and slanting.

Wind

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