A Great Wind
- Poetry of Liu Bang

《大风歌》
A Great Wind by Liu Bang
English Translation

A great wind came forth,

the clouds rose on high.

Now that my might rules all within the seas,

I have returned to my old village.

Where will I find brave men to guard the four corners of my land?

The Song of the Great Wind is a song composed by Liu Bang in 195 BC when he visited his hometown in Pei County after suppressing Ying Bu's rebellion. He prepared a banquet and invited all his old friends and townsfolk to join him. After some drinks, Liu Bang played the guqin and sang the Song of the Great Wind (大風歌).

中文原文( Chinese )

大风起兮云飞扬，

威加海内兮归故乡。

安得猛士兮守四方。

- Last updated: 2024-08-06 14:48:05
· Pre： New Year's Day
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.

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