On Hearing of the Imperial Plowing Ceremony
- Poetry of Liu Zongyuan
《闻籍田有感》
English Translation
The Sacred Field awaits the Emperor's ride,
While I'm stranded in Changsha—years slip by.
No chance to counsel at the Palace side,
Where in the South can my writings fly?
This poem expresses his pent-up emotions. By invoking two historical allusions—Jia Yi and Sima Tan—Liu reflects on their misfortunes and likens himself to them, revealing his loyalty to the state, his yearning to achieve greatness, and his indignation at being cast aside in a remote land with no means to voice his counsel.
中文原文( Chinese )
天田不日降皇舆，留滞长沙岁又除。
宣室无由问釐事，周南何处托成书。
Pre： Summer Nap
- 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.
Famous Chinese Poems
- Villager's Song I
- Villager's Song II
- Villager's Song III
- The Ferry at Yiyang
- The Village Tavern
- Quatrain of Four Words: Deep Love, True Heart
- Mountain's End
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
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