Inscribed on Assistant Xiao’s Small Pond
- Poetry of Qian Qi
《题萧丞小池》This poem was composed by Qian Qi during the High Tang period as an inscription for a small pond in the residence of his friend Xiao Cheng, a local official and literary connoisseur. Through describing the scenery of a friend's dwelling, the poet expresses the joy of reunion and his lingering attachment to spring's beauty. Set against a morning pondscape in springtime, the verses weave friendship, nature, and life's reflections into a tapestry that is both vivid with daily charm and tinged with wistfulness for fleeting moments.
Orioles sing midst iris-green,
Dawn welcomes trysts with loves unseen.
By woods and pools, words fade away—
Where mandarin ducks preen wings at play.
Spring-warmed springs nurse healing herbs,
Sunlit hours stretch blooms’ slow verbs.
This meeting begs unmeasured wine—
Such perfect hours won’t realign.
莺鸣蕙草绿，朝与情人期。
林沼忘言处，鸳鸿养翮时。
春泉滋药暖，晴日度花迟。
此会无辞醉，良辰难再追。
- 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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