At the End of the World
- Poetry of Li Shangyin

《天涯》

English Translation

Spring sees me at the world's end,

And the sun again tips to the land.

Orioles cry as if in copious tears,

Wetting the highest twigs that bend.

This poem was composed during the Tang Dynasty. Through depicting spring's beauty contrasting with his solitary existence, the poet expresses profound lamentations about time's passage and life's impermanence. Natural imagery conveys inner emotions, reflecting the poet's springtime melancholy and self-pity arising from life's disappointments.

中文原文( Chinese )

春日在天涯，天涯日又斜。

莺啼如有泪，为湿最高花。

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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.

At the End of the World - Poetry of Li Shangyin

At the End of the World
- Poetry of Li Shangyin