From the balcony to the bare distance
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《忆秦娥·临高阁》

English Translation

From the balcony to the bare distance,

A light mist spreads to the hills and lands.

With a late autumn chill it also sends in

army horns from the west on the crows’ returns.

My chamber now senses no more incense,

no more wine, and no more sweet dreams.

The wicked wind has robbed the last leaves

of parasol trees before a winter more bleak.

(translated by Julia Min)

- to the tune of Yiqin’e

中文原文( Chinese )

临高阁，乱山平野烟光薄。

烟光薄，栖鸦归后，暮天闻角。

断香残酒情怀恶，西风催衬梧桐落。

梧桐落，又还秋色，又还寂寞。

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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.