In the Army Camp, Climbing a Gate Tower
- Poetry of Luo Binwang
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?
This is a poem by Luo Binwang, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The first two lines depict the late autumn scenery—cold wind whistling above the city walls and chill mist curling over the river surface—painting a bleak and desolate picture that conveys the tense and solemn atmosphere on the eve of battle as well as the soldiers’ hopes and confidence. The latter two lines invoke the historical anecdote of King Wu of Zhou launching a punitive expedition against King Zhou of Shang, using it as an allegory to affirm the just nature of the campaign against Wu Zetian, while also expressing the unwavering conviction of victory, the indomitable spirit of resolute resistance, and the fearless mettle of the combatants.
城上风威冷，江中水气寒。
戎衣何日定，歌舞入长安。
- 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.
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