Early Voyage
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng
On cold waters, my lone oar touches celestial spheres,
As if riding a raft to ask the way of the starry seers.
Though the azure void holds infinite beauty and grace,
The name "Star-Guest" still brings a troubled look to my face.
This heptasyllabic quatrain was composed by Lu Guimeng during the late Tang Dynasty. Living in reclusion in Fuli, Suzhou, Lu styled himself "an idle wanderer of rivers and lakes." Amid the turmoil of the late Tang—marked by corrupt governance, intense factional strife, and unrecognized talent—he harbored aspirations to contribute to the world but found his official path blocked, turning instead to nature for solace. This poem was written during an early morning boat journey, where the vastness of the river and sky inspired him to infuse the loneliness of travel with reflections on his own life.
水寒孤棹触天文，直似乘槎去问津。
纵使碧虚无限好，客星名字也愁人。
- 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.
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song
- Hymns of Harmony: Song of a Banished Beauty
- Imitation: Lament of a Courtesan
- The Bronze Terrace Courtesan
- Song of the Roosting Crows I
- Song of the Roosting Crows II
- Su Wu