Pity the Peasants/Ancient Air, 1 of 2
- Poetry of Li Shen

《古风 / 悯农二首其一》

- Last updated: 2024-04-16 18:56:09

中文原文

春种一粒粟，秋收万颗子。

四海无闲田，农夫犹饿死。

English Translation

Each grain of millet sown in spring

Will by autumn harvest a myriad bring.

Across the land no fields lie vacant,

Peasants still found----starving, dying.

1- Each grain of millet sown in spring

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