For Han Wo, Poet Prodigy I
- Poetry of Li Shangyin
《韩冬郎二首 · 其一》
English Translation
You wrote a verse with highest speed at ten years old;
We would not part though candle ashes turned cold.
The flowery mountain path extends for miles long;
The young surpass the old in singing phoenix's song.
This poem was written in the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (851) during Li Shangyin's journey from the capital to Sichuan, where he served as an assistant to the military governor of Dongchuan. At a farewell banquet, the ten-year-old Han Wei, a prodigy, composed a poem spontaneously, astounding the guests with his talent. Several years later, after returning to the capital, Li Shangyin recited the poem from that year and, moved by the memories, composed two responses.
中文原文( Chinese )
十岁裁诗走马成，冷灰残烛动离情。
桐花万里丹山路，雏凤清于老凤声。
- 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.