Song of the Mountain Goddess
- Poetry of Meng Jiao
Going upstream, I see mountain on mountain high;
The twelve green peaks with Sunny Terrace scrape the sky.
The king in hunting caught by sudden evening shower
Slept there and dreamed of the Goddess in Sunny Bower.
To her charm added the mist-veiled rainbow dress bright;
Away she flew with faded stars and clouds in flight.
However far I stretch my eyes, she can't be found;
Hearing the monkey's wail, in longing tears I'm drowned.
This poem takes the legend of the Goddess of Wushan as its central theme, blending depictions of the Three Gorges scenery, visions of the goddess, and the emotions of a traveler to create an ethereal and enchanting artistic realm. While sailing through the upper reaches of the Ba River's gorges, the poet is deeply moved by the mountain and river landscapes and mythological tales. Drawing upon ancient accounts of dreaming about the goddess, he skillfully merges reality with legend, presenting both the beauty of nature and profound reflections on life.
巴江上峡重复重，阳台碧峭十二峰。
荆王猎时逢暮雨，夜卧高丘梦神女。
轻红流烟湿艳姿，行云飞去明星稀。
目极魂断望不见，猿啼三声泪滴衣。
- 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.
- The Pepper Garden
- Mengcheng Mound
- A Boat in Spring on Jo-Ya Lake
- Night at Longxing Temple
- The Abbot’s Hut
- Passing by Monk Rong’s Hermitage
- Farewell to Magistrate Jia Heng
- Winter Night at My Lodging: To Imperial Archivist Chu
- Night in the Taoist Cosmos
- The Temple in Crimson Mist