Nostalgia
- Poetry of Modern Chinese poetry

《乡愁》
Nostalgia by Modern Chinese poetry
English Translation

When I was a child,

Nostalgia was a tiny postage stamp.

I, on this side,

My mother, on the other.

When I was older,

Nostalgia became a small ship ticket.

I, on this side,

My bride, on the other.

Later,

Nostalgia was a shallow grave.

I, on the outside,

My mother, on the inside.

And now,

Nostalgia is a gulf, a shallow strait.

I, on this side,

The mainland, on the other.

A contemporary Taiwanese poet, he was best known for his piece “Nostalgia,” which highlighted the displacement and longing for cultural unity between the mainland and the Chinese diaspora.

中文原文( Chinese )

小时候

乡愁是一枚小小的邮票

我在这头

母亲在那头

长大后

乡愁是一张窄窄的船票

我在这头

新娘在那头

后来啊

乡愁是一方矮矮的坟墓

我在外头

母亲在里头

而现在

乡愁是一湾浅浅的海峡

我在这头

大陆在那头

- Last updated: 2024-03-22 20:49:49
· Pre： Song of River City
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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