Rainstorm on the Eleventh month 4th
- Poetry of Lu You

《十一月四日风雨大作》

- Last updated: 2024-02-23 10:49:48

中文原文

僵卧孤村不自哀，尚思为国戍轮台。

夜阑卧听风吹雨，铁马冰河入梦来。

English Translation

I slept stiff and alone in a lonely village without feeling self-pity.

I am still thinking of fighting for my country.

Deep into the night I lie down and hear the wind blowing the rain.

The armored horses and the ice river came into my dream.

This poem was written when Lu was old and retired, but it shines with his patriotism and vivid depiction of the fighting scenes in the North.

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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