The Beauty
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng
The fair one holds a zither, jade and rare,
Plays "Parting Cranes" with grief beyond compare.
South and north the paired birds now fly apart,
Once shared perches no more shelter the heart.
Surely not metal or stone's enduring core,
How could things stay as they were before?
Born as twin flowers on a single stem,
They'll fall at different times—farewell to them.
The autumn woods face the setting sun's ray,
As light and shade themselves now fade away.
Still hoping to make your heart understand,
Each dawn I wear orchids with trembling hand.
Living in the turbulent late Tang Dynasty—marked by political corruption and widespread disillusionment among scholars—Lu Guimeng formed literary societies with peers like Pi Rixiu, seeking solace in reclusion and poetic expression. His works often used object personification, metaphorical imagery, and emotional projection to convey personal and generational sorrow.
美人抱瑶瑟，哀怨弹别鹤。
雌雄南北飞，一旦异栖托。
谅非金石性，安得宛如昨。
生为并蒂花，亦有先后落。
秋林对斜日，光景自相薄。
犹欲悟君心，朝朝佩兰若。
- 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.
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Ten Odes on Tea Utensils: Tea Vale White Lotus
- Spring Thoughts II
- The Arcane Celadon of Yue Kiln
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song