She Stealthily Comes Out
- Poetry of Nalan Xingde

《清平乐》

English Translation

She stealthily comes out to tryst with me,

hard to know when she comes because we haven't dated.

Lean on the balustrade with her to watch the moonshine,

i gently step close to her and lower my head to smell her fragrance.

The time of encounter is too short,

i spoonily wait for her from day to night like a doll-lost kid.

Every spring thinking of her like a lunatic,just hope she's fine.

i gently step to pear flowers and lower my head to smell her fragrance.

By Nalan Xingde

中文原文( Chinese )

风鬟雨鬓，偏是来无准。

倦倚玉阑看月晕，容易语低香近。

软风吹遍窗纱，心期便隔天涯。

从此伤春伤别，黄昏只对梨花。

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 15:42:21

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.

List of Chinese poets