The wild wisterias grows on the field
- Poetry of Pre-Qin Poetry

《野有蔓草》

- Last updated: 2024-03-22 16:07:59

中文原文

野有蔓草，零露漙兮。

有美一人，清扬婉兮。

邂逅相遇，适我愿兮。

野有蔓草，零露瀼瀼。

有美一人，婉如清扬。

邂逅相遇，与子偕臧。

English Translation

The wild wisterias grows on the field,

dew twinkles on those little leaves.

A beautiful girl walks on the path,

encountering her is my best luck.

The wild wisterias grows on the field,

dew falls on those little leaves.

A beautiful girl walks on the path,

we have a dreamlike tryst.

By Anonymous

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