The Egret
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng

《白鹭》

English Translation

Like snow it flies down, stands on mosses green,

Joins river gulls to keep me from the scene.

Seeing my boat about to drift away,

"I beg you be my messenger to clouds and spray."

Living in the turbulent late Tang Dynasty, with a corrupt court and dark governance, Lu Guimeng often retreated to the Jiangnan region, finding solace in poetry and the company of birds and nature. "The Egret" was composed while observing the egret by a river or lakeside. Traditionally, the egret symbolizes purity and nobility. To the poet, it is not merely part of the natural scenery but also embodies his own aspiration for integrity and detachment from worldly vulgarity.

中文原文( Chinese )

雪然飞下立苍苔，应伴江鸥拒我来。

见欲扁舟摇荡去，倩君先作水云媒。

Pre： Early Spring

Next：Early Voyage

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.

The Egret​​ - Poetry of Lu Guimeng

The Egret
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng