Mourning Loss
- Poetry of Mei Yaochen

《悼亡三首-其一》

- Last updated: 2024-03-20 23:33:11

中文原文

结发为夫妇，于今十七年。

相看犹不足，何况是长捐！

我鬓已多白，此身宁久全？

终当与同穴，未死泪涟涟。

English Translation

When we two first became husband and wife

Was seventeen years ago today.

We couldn't look at each other enough,

What loss could compare to this?

Already, my temples are mostly white,

I'd rather my body had finished its time.

In the end, we'll share a tomb;

Still not dead, I weep and weep.

Mei Yaochen

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