Two Poems at Shen Pavilion
- Poetry of Lu You

《沈园二首》

English Translation

The flute sobs on the head of the city,

Shen Pavilion isn't what it used to be.

I wandered on the bridge to look the riverwater,

in the riverwater,i've seen your beautiful face.

Love has been disappearing for forty years,

the willow tree in Shen Pavilion has withered.

My life is gonna arrive the last stop,

nothing i regret but the love i owed you.

By Lu You

中文原文( Chinese )

其一

城上斜阳画角哀，沈园非复旧池台，

伤心桥下春波绿，曾是惊鸿照影来。

其二

梦断香消四十年，沈园柳老不吹绵。

此身行作稽山土，犹吊遗踪一泫然。

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 23:37:21

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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