How I Long for the Capital’s Lantern Festival
- Poetry of Li Shangyin

《正月十五夜闻京有灯恨不得观》

English Translation

Our King’s Capital in lanterns – light and moonbeams,

Broad thoroughfares seem too narrow to flow cars’ stream.

I’m forsaken, foreign to Celebration there,

Shame! To greet Fay Violet with bumpkins free of care.

By Li Shangyin

中文原文( Chinese )

月色灯光满帝都，香车宝辇隘通衢。

身闲不睹中兴盛，羞逐乡人赛紫姑。

- Last updated: 2025-06-11 10:25:50

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