Song of the Roosting Crows II
- Poetry of Liu Fangping
Twin-oared painted boat with brocade cables bright,
Where lotus blooms blush and leaves darken in light.
The moonlit scene reflects on the pond before the door,
Moved by the lord who midnight crosses Xiao-Xiang's shore.
"Song of the Perching Crows" is a set of Yuefu-style poems by Liu Fangping, consisting of two pieces that belong to the tradition of Tang Dynasty palace lament and romantic themes. Such poetry often depicts the inner lives, physical beauty, and emotional yearning of women in secluded chambers. The second poem uses imagery of an ornate painted boat, blooming hibiscus, and moonlit scenes to express a woman’s longing for her beloved on a quiet night. Tang literati often adopted the "song lyric" style to portray feminine emotions, and this piece continues the Yuefu tradition with refined imagery and elegant language, conveying its message with subtle depth.
画舸双艚锦为缆，芙蓉花发莲叶暗。
门前月色映横塘，感郎中夜渡潇湘。
- 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.