Listening to the Rain
- Poetry of Lu You

《闻雨》

- Last updated: 2024-04-12 09:33:34

中文原文

慷慨心犹壮，蹉跎鬓已秋。

百年殊鼎鼎，万事只悠悠。

不悟鱼千里，终归貉一丘。

夜阑闻急雨，起坐涕交流。

English Translation

My heart is stout as in the days gone by,

Yet fleeting time has silvered my sparse hair;

Life's little span is quickly past,

But will no end be made to men's distress?

Why must a fish, eager to travel far,

Perish at last like foxes in one burrow?

Late at night, listening to the pelting rain,

I sit up and my face is bathed in tears.

By Lu You

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