Deep in Spring, the Rain's Passed (Picking Mulberries)
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《采桑子·春深雨过西湖好》

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 17:07:17

中文原文

春深雨过西湖好，百卉争妍。

蝶乱蜂喧。晴日催花暖欲然。

兰桡画舸悠悠去，疑是神仙。

返照波间。水阔风高扬管弦。

English Translation

Deep in spring, the rain's passed- West Lake is good.

A hundred grasses vie in beauty,

Confusion of butterflies, clamour of bees,

The clear day hurries the blossom to burst forth in the warmth.

Oars in lilies, a painted barge moving without haste.

I think I see a band of sprites-

Light reflected in the ripples,

The high wind carries music over the broad water.

By Ouyang Xiu

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