In the Army Camp, Climbing a Gate Tower
- Poetry of Luo Binwang

《在军登城楼城》

- Last updated: 2024-03-15 16:58:37

中文原文

城上风威冷，江中水气寒。

戎衣何日定，歌舞入长安。

English Translation

Atop the wall, the wind is strong and chill;

On the river, the water vapour's cold.

What day will these soldiers' uniforms

Singing and dancing enter Chang'an?

By Luo Binwang

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.

List of Chinese poets