In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng
Though we missed our spring city drinking date,
I've written texts but poems must wait.
Chanting Chu's shore with orchids in full bloom,
I'd gather triple-gems from Shang's cliff gloom.
Wild cranes need wider cages to be free,
Mountain monks' meals need special cookery.
Just cure Shen Yue's dim eyes to make them clear,
Then river flowers will branch without fear.
This poem was written by Lu Guimeng in response to his friend Pi Rixiu (courtesy name Pimei). Confined at home due to illness, Pi was unable to join Lu for a spring literary gathering and instead sent a poem expressing his regrets. Lu and Pi shared a deep friendship, often exchanging poems, and were known together as "Pi-Lu." Under the guise of a poetic reply, this work conveys both concern and encouragement for the ailing friend, reflecting their shared ideals and profound bond amid adversity. It expresses regret over missing spring’s joys but also embodies a recluse’s resilience and broad-mindedness.
虽失春城醉上期，下帷裁遍未裁诗。
因吟郢岸百亩蕙，欲采商崖三秀芝。
栖野鹤笼宽使织，施山僧饭别教炊。
但医沈约重瞳健，不怕江花不满枝。
- 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.