Ru Meng Ling -- Reminiscence
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《如梦令·常记溪亭日暮》

- Last updated: 2023-12-21 19:53:03

中文原文

常记溪亭日暮，沉醉不知归路。

兴尽晚回舟，误入藕花深处。

争渡，争渡，惊起一滩鸥鹭。

English Translation

I often recall that sunset gath'ring at Brookside Pavilion;

We got so drunk, too drunk to tell our bearings home.

By dusk, our gay mood spent, our boats we turned

Only to stray: straight into the depths of the lotus groves.

Ah, on, we rowed!

And on, we rowed!

Startling to flight, herons and gulls of the sandy shallows.

By Li Qingzhao

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