Lines
- Poetry of Shen Quanqi
Against the City of the Yellow Dragon
Our troops were sent long years ago,
And girls here watch the same melancholy moon
That lights our Chinese warriors --
And young wives dream a dream of spring,
That last night their heroic husbands,
In a great attack, with flags and drums,
Captured the City of the Yellow Dragon.
Five-character-regular-verse
This poem was composed during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. Though the empire was prosperous, border conflicts were frequent, with constant military campaigns at the Yellow Dragon Garrison (in present-day Nong'an, Jilin). Soldiers were stationed year-round without returning home, leading to family separations. As a court scholar, Shen Quanqi deeply felt the impact of endless warfare and the suffering of the people. Using the theme of "boudoir lament," he expressed war-weariness and a longing for peace. Though titled "Miscellaneous Poem," it is a poignant work of longing with strong anti-war sentiments, blending personal grief with the era's sorrow in a masterful display of artistic consciousness.
闻道黄龙戍，频年不解兵。
可怜闺里月，长在汉家营。
少妇今春意，良人昨夜情。
谁能将旗鼓，一为取龙城。
- 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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