Complaint of Parting
- Poetry of Meng Jiao

《古怨别》

English Translation

The soughing autumn wind is blowing;

Grieved, I complain my man is going.

We face each other eye to eye;

Before I speak, I sob and sigh.

My heart is like a winding stream,

How can I tell my dreary dream?

When I miss him after we part,

We can but share moonlight apart.

"Complaint of Parting" is a five-character ancient poem that vividly portrays the poignant and deeply touching scene of a couple parting ways. Set against the backdrop of an autumn farewell, the poem uses vivid details and a seamless blend of setting and emotion to express profound and steadfast love. The poet's depiction of parting sorrow is both realistic and moving, evoking strong emotional resonance and vivid imagery.

中文原文( Chinese )

飒飒秋风生，愁人怨离别。

含情两相向，欲语气先咽。

心曲千万端，悲来却难说。

别后唯所思，天涯共明月。

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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.

Complaint of Parting - Poetry of Meng Jiao

Complaint of Parting
- Poetry of Meng Jiao