Send to my Wife when Arriving at the Shou Province
- Poetry of Ouyang Xiu

《行次寿州寄内》
Send to my Wife when Arriving at the Shou Province by Ouyang Xiu
English Translation

Beneath Zi Jin mountain, the ever flowing river,

Do you remember when we came here long ago?

Tonight the south wind blows in this traveler’s dream

And a bright moon over the clear Huai river shines on a lonely boat.

Author: Ou Yangxiu, 11th century

中文原文( Chinese )

紫金山下水长流，尝记当年此共游。

今夜南风吹客梦，清淮明月照孤舟。

- Last updated: 2025-06-29 10:51:25
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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.

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